Princess of Ice
by Avatar Momo
Summary: Deception. Love. Beauty. Those are the qualities of the Princess of Ice. She is to become the most beautiful woman ever, yet have her heart broken many times over. However, no one knows who she is. Not even the Princess of Ice herself. CHAPTER 36 IS UP!
1. Dishonor

Hi! :D I wrote this story because I was studying Medieval times in school, and...well...yeah... Inspiration hit me like a train and I kind of needed to write this XD

Rating: T BECAUSE OF: Occasional swearing, dramatic-ness, lotsa romance, smidgens of violence

NOTE: I use French throughout this story. Not so much that it's unreadable to all my non-French-speaking readers, just sometimes *coughwhenIfeellikeitcough* . And when people cuss. Because that's just hilarious. XD I don't think it'd be anything absolutely crucial to the story, so please don't get all scared xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;

The throneroom shined in all its glory, throwing brilliant flashes and gleams of light in all directions whenever a stream of light grazed any of the surfaces that were pure gold. Luxury screamed from the royal blue tapestries hanging from the walls to the luscious velvet cushions and carpets. Two figures drenched in brilliant fabrics and riches were seated on two magnificent gold thrones at the edge of the room. A man knelt before the king, seated on the left, quietly sobbing.

Princess Katara arranged her legs so they were underneath her hips, and she combed her hair over her shoulder with her fingers. She lounged in her throne while her father, King Hakoda, spoke sternly with one of the commoners. In these types of pleas from her people, normally Princess Katara sat and waited while her father decided their fate. King Hakoda's speech slowed as the Royal Adviser began whispering to him.

Bored with her life, she played with a bead on her beautiful royal bracelet. King Hakoda, after listening to the adviser for a few more seconds, uncertainly told the poor man to leave the city at once and to never return. Princess Katara perked up in shock and watched the man nod quietly, bowing and leaving the room. Pity struck her heart, wishing that she could tell the man to come back. She inwardly cursed that _evil _Royal Adviser, Adviser Zhao.

Before she could spiral into a mental tirade about the adviser, her father turned to her._  
_

"Katara?"

"Yes, Father?" Katara replied, looking up from her hands.

"The next person that walks in..." King Hakoda didn't quite finish his sentence. It was as if he was trying to word something correctly. He glanced up to the tapestries hanging from the high castle ceilings.

"Yes," Katara prompted.

"I would appreciate it if you would keep an open mind with whatever they say," he finished, unable to meet her gaze. Katara knew that line. She had heard it over and over; it was the line she had come to dread whenever she was in the court room near the end of the day with her father.

Katara groaned loudly, trying to show as much displeasure as possible. "Not another caller! I don't want to get married yet, Father!" she protested, wishing she could ward off the caller waiting outside with her words. She was clinging desperately to her single days, and she wanted to rule the kingdom ALONE, not underneath some Princey Idiot. If it was a prince from her own country that was kind and good-hearted, then _maybe_. She wanted someone that cared for her, and was not self-assured and stuck-up. She wanted someone that liked her for who she was, not for what she looked like. Princess Katara wished there was one man on the earth that would marry her for the love they shared, not for her title.

"I'm sorry, daughter, but it's the law!" Hakoda looked at his daughter with utmost sympathy, knowing full well that he didn't have to say anything more as she sighed in annoyance. "Now, you don't wish to marry Prince Haru of the Earth, correct?" King Hakoda clarified. He certainly wanted to honor his daughter's wishes, but there wasn't anything he could do about the law that was set in place. However, he decided to do everything in his power to let his daughter marry whomever she wanted, as long as he was of royal blood. Anything else would anger the people of France.

"I _did_ like him a bit, but his facial hair!" She laughed at the memory of his cute mustache. "He was a fine man, but I definitely wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with him. He would be a good friend, but nothing more."

"And Prince Jet-"

"Don't even say his name!" Katara gasped. He was a handsome, dashing man at the beginning of their courtship, but there was definitely something wrong with him. As their love progressed, he became obsessed with showing Katara how much he hated society. The day she ended their relationship officially, he had attempted to destroy an entire town to simply impress her. She shook her head at the thought of the poor townspeople screaming as their streets were flooded rapidly.

"Prince Teo?"

"He was quite the entertainer," the Princess mused, recalling his goofy eyegear and his amazing sense of humor. "However, I can't really see him as a husband."

"Okay, so none of the callers have satisfied you, I see. This prince is the _final _prince that is coming to call; I have called him because he is the last major prince, and he is from the Fire Nation. If you marry him, it would bring peace between our two countries. If he doesn't meet your requirements, I will require that you marry him or the other princes you have seen already. Do you understand?"

The words rang throughout Katara's ears, over and over and over. No more choices, she would have to choose out of four princes, none of which would probably care as deeply for her as she wished. She looked away from the doors, struggling to keep her thoughts under control. Katara just couldn't picture herself with any of the princes she'd seen so far and-

She winced as the doors opened, and in walked a nervous-looking boy in his late teens. His golden eyes glinted under the late-afternoon light streaming in, his wild, untamed black hair swishing about his face. He examined all the walls before resting his eyes on the two thrones before him, his muscular figure rippling under the thin fabric of his scarlet silk shirt. His eyes met Katara's for a split second, and his face twisted up slightly with disgust.

His head snapped over to meet Hakoda's curious eyes. "I'm very sorry, King Hakoda, but I don't believe for a second that this relationship would work."

And with that, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation turned on a heel and left the throneroom in a flurry as Katara's jaw dropped.

Hakoda reached concernedly over to Katara as she made a choking sound.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Katara's face was a mix of emotions, but the front and foremost was definitely furious.

"What the hell was that?" She was obviously trying to keep a tight rein on her language. She gripped the throne until her knuckles began to turn snow-white.

"_Katara_," Hakoda warned, alerting her that she was starting to snap off some of the jewels encrusted on her throne. "I think it would be wise if you cooled yourself down with a bath and then return to your chambers and get some rest. I'll send dinner up if you wish."

She looked wildly over and met her father's worried gaze, and instantly she looked as if she were going to cry. She nodded twice while gulping, then bolted down the hall and hurried up the spiraling stone staircase to her room.

King Hakoda couldn't help but feel sorry for her; he would definitely like to do something about the disgrace she felt, but technically he couldn't take the Fire Nation to war because Zuko hadn't shown any major disrespect.

As Katara burst into her room, she kicked her door closed and collapsed onto the bed. Her stomach was twisted into knots upon knots, and she knew she should probably go bathe and calm herself down.

Not in all of her almost-sixteen years had Katara been so insulted. Sure, she had been rejected before, but this blatant rejection had done nothing less than slap her across the face. She was expecting...

Expecting...

What _was_ she expecting? A handsome young man to walk through the door and sweep her off her feet? No. She was expecting him to at least look at her for more than five seconds before rejecting her. As she fisted her fingers into her blankets, she pulled herself up so she could rest her head comfortably. She then shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep, but no sleep would come. The thought of Prince Zuko kept on floating around her head, persistent and refusing to leave her distraught thoughts.

All of a sudden, she let out an annoyed sigh and sat up straight on her bed. Sliding off her bed, she began searching around her room. Grasping the velvety-soft fabric with trembling fingers, she lifted a good-sized drawstring bag out of the rags on the floor. Shaking at the thought of what she was going to do next, she stuffed a tunic, a pair of her father's pants, a dress and some jewelry, and a dagger.

"Au revior, Father! My pride is broken as are my feelings... I will return, but I must depart," she whispered, climbing out her window.

,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,,;,

::EDIT:: Okay, okay, I know I re-wrote basically all of this chapter. I needed to because I was wincing uncontrollably as I re-read most of this story... *shifts uncomfortably* So, anyways, I will be re-doing most of the beginning of the story _as well as _adding new chapters, mmkay? Don't worry, I won't change any important story points (maybe a few names, but that's it) and I'm mainly just adding details. I hope that in the end, the story turns out to be a piece of writing that all of you will be able to enjoy. :)

~Momo


	2. Appa

Hey guys! :D How's it going?

Disclaimer: Avatar Momo is my name, not owning A:TLA or any of the characters in it is my game. And what I just said is very lame. YEAH! *dances*

,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,

After dropping down stealthily from the walls encircling the castle, Katara checked behind both shoulders before continuing. She adjusted the bag in her hand so it was over her shoulder and sneaked as quietly as possible to the royal stables.

Carefully, oh-so-carefully, Katara opened the door as slowly as possible to avert the creaking sound that almost always resonated through the air after opening it. She was rewarded with a soft squeak and nothing more. Once inside, she made sure that none of the guards or servants were still tending to the horses; even though the sun had just recently set, a numerous amount of servants didn't mind taking their time to get back to the castle after sundown.

She picked up a candlestick that was lit in the corner of the stables, absentmindedly making a note to scold whichever servant had left it there.

_He could have burned down the stables and caused the death of all of our horses!_ Katara thought angrily in the back of her head, not remembering that she was here because she was running _away _from home. She didn't see any other glowing lights throughout the rest of the stable, so she nodded to herself and began searching for her horse.

The royal stables were huge. They housed all of the cavalry's horses as well as the royal horses, accounting for up to 50 horses at full capacity. Not all of them were there, obviously, but that didn't stop Katara from having to look quite a bit for the horse which she had come for.

She passed by brown horses, black horses, and some beautiful speckled ones; finally she arrived at a great white stallion.

"Appa," she breathed in awe, and instantly the horse's ears perked up. Smiling, she ran her fingers down his great muzzle.

Childhood memories flashed through Katara's mind like a lightning storm. Day after day of cleaning him, brushing him, riding him around the castle grounds, snuggling him and telling him secrets... and... and...

Tears sprung up to Katara's shocked eyes. _Mom..._

Her eyes met with Appa's, who was looking curiously at her.

"Do you remember Mom, Appa?" Her voice was thick with tears. "Do you remember when Maman gave you to me?" Katara could have sworn that he ducked his head up and down in agreement, and instantly she was wrapping her arms around his neck and back, running her fingers through his silky, magnificent mane.

"I missed you, buddy. I haven't seen you in a while." She looked up into his great big eyes and smiled a big, goofy grin. "We're gonna get out of here, okay? You already have all your gear on from today, so I'll just take you as you are. We have to hurry before someone figures out that we're leaving," she told him, taking his reins and walking him out of the stables. She picked up a few apples and carrots and the like on her way out, making sure to grab the stablemaster's cap before leaving. She pushed the door of the stables wide, completely forgetting to open it slowly. A huge, hair-raising screech rang throughout the air as the door swung open. Both Katara and Appa cringed, but after Katara had recovered from the surprise, she hoisted herself up into Appa's saddle and hustled out of the castle grounds.

As she rode into the darkening night, she ran her fingers through Appa's mane, thinking about nothing but how much she missed her mother.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

The sun rose, settling its glowing rays down upon Katara's sleeping face. She shut her eyes tighter, trying to block out the light, but it was to no avail. She rolled over and came face-to-face with a giant black hoof.

"AAHHH!" Princess Katara cried, rolling away from Appa's hoof and out from under her blanket. Deciding that now the sun was up there was no use in going back to sleep, Katara folded her blanket and tucked it back into one of Appa's convenient saddle-bags. She plucked an apple from her velvet bag, but was disappointed when she saw bruises and small worms creeping throughout the skin. After examining the rest of the rotten apples, she unhappily thought about how she probably wasn't going to get any breakfast.

After looking around, however, Katara realized that, in here fatigued state, she had camped without looking where she was. Looking a bit more, she discovered that she was in a deserted orchard near the edge of downtown Paris. She wasn't surprised to see a few trees blossoming with fresh fruit nearby, so she spent about an hour collecting fresh rations for her and her traveling companion- and transportation.

After munching on a few peaches, Katara relaxed under the shade of an apple tree as the sun continued its escalation into the sky. She sat there for a while, trying to bring order to her giant flurry of emotions ricocheting off of every corner of her mind. After only a few mere minutes of doing so, however, Katara let out a huff and stood up. Deciding to do something productive, she changed into her "boy" clothes and tucked her hair under the stablemaster's cap, so now she clearly resembled a boy. She weathered her hands a little bit by rubbing them on some sandstone, and then used the rock to scrape the beauty of her manicure off her nails. She washed the makeup from her face and pulled on some rugged, dusty boots that had happened to be in one of the pockets of Appa's saddle bags.

After she was satisfied with her disguise, she smiled and turned to her horse.

"So, Appa, do I look like a boy now?" Katara said, doing a full 360o turn for him. Appa pawed the ground with one of his great hooves.

"Great! Now sorry, Appa, but I can't ride you with the royal saddles. I have to ride you with equipment that looks a lot more... farmlike." Katara reached up to pull the bit out of Appa's mouth, but Appa snapped his jaws at her.

"Oh. Right. You must be hungry," Katara noted. She reached into her velvet bag and pulled out one of the apples she had collected earlier. "Here you go!" Katara said, holding out the shiny red orb out to his waiting muzzle. As Appa munched on the apple, Katara began brushing his long mane, taking her time to get all of the leaves and dirt out. During this time, Katara began plotting her revenge on Zuko, the prince that had so defied her good looks.

After Appa's mane was rightly bright and gleaming with health, Katara expertly took the bit and bridle out of her horse's mouth and rubbed it down with some bark. After it had taken on a sort of duller shade of silver, she wore the reins down in the grass and on the side of a tree. When it looked satisfactorily worse, she set it down by a rock and continued to undress her horse. She took off the fancy hat, the peacock plumes off his tail, and the golden horseshoes.

Then, his final piece of equipment, the saddle. She ripped it off his back; if she used slower movements she would have been crushed by its gigantic weight. She assumed that it weighed more than she did. Setting to work on it, she first weathered it with grass, then with bark, then with sandstone, as to change its color from royal leather to peasant cowhide.

When she was done she sat down in the saddle, wiping the sweat off her brow. "That was more draining than I expected it to be, Appa," she remarked offhandedly, leaning back into the saddle. Laying all her whizzing emotions to rest, she relaxed into the saddle and dozed off into a comfortable nap.

Only to be woken by her horse nuzzling her face. She sat up slowly and deliberately, noting it was the moon and stars, not the sun anymore, shining in her face.

"Okay, okay, Appa. We'll get moving." She stroked his muzzle for a few moments and then stood. She hoisted the saddle on Appa, then put in his bit and bridle. She tossed the rest of the fancy horseware down the ravine, and hopped onto Appa, gripping the drawstrings of her velvet bag in one hand and Appa's reins in the other.

Katara rode into town and was surprised to find that it was still lively and bright as it was in the daytime. Business was booming, and the traders didn't seem to notice that the sun had gone down quite a while ago. People calling out prices, advertising wares, or just plain chitchat in raised voices. As she approached the first cart, Katara hopped down from the saddle and led Appa by the reins, not wanting to hit anyone or their carts. _That _could lead to some unwelcome circumstances.

On occasion, someone would notice her beautiful horse and strike up a conversation with her. Even though she was doing a pretty good job of keeping her voice around the octave of an adolescent or a teenage boy, she talked as little as she could, instead nodding or shaking her head where applicable. After a the first two, she tried her best to ignore them and keep on walking by.

After about five merchants, one was a bit more forceful and caught her shoulder as she tried to ignore him and barge on by.

"Say, what's your name?" he asked, a grin with an emotion Katara couldn't place splayed upon his face. After studying him suspiciously for a few more seconds, she finally replied.

"Kat-" Katara said reflexively, but tried to amend the damage her reflexes had dealt. "My _real_ name is Katain, but my friends prefer Kat," she added, nervously glancing away. She really wished that the only way out of Paris wasn't through the nosy merchant-filled downtown.

"Like Princess **_Kat_**ara?" the trader said suggestively. Unnoticed by Katara, his eyes kept on flickering up to meet Appa's eyes.

Katara sighed, annoyed, but lied, "I'm actually a couple years older than her, and my friends came up with that nickname before she was born."

"Really?" the annoying merchant said, excited. "How old are you, and how old is she?"

"Uh..." Katara tried to think up a lie that would be convincing. Luckily, it only seemed as if she trying to remember how old the little Princess Katara was. "I'm 22, and she, to the best of my knowledge, is 15. I believe."

"Oh my heavens! You're twenty-two, my young man? Than you MUST come drinking with us!" the merchant said, clapping a hand around her shoulder and dragging her away from Appa. And before Katara could protest, she was dragged into a pub full of men.

Drunk men.

Not good.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

See ya! :D

~Momo


	3. Nowhere to Go

Hi! I'm finally free of writer's block and I actually got some time to type! Hooray!

Disclaimer:I don't own Avatar. :(

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The pub smelled of rotting wood and strong alcohol, and it was packed with man after man that was drinking to his heart's content. Naturally, this meant that nearly everyone within the vicinity was drunk. The merchant led Katara directly to the bar and ordered her a sizeable mug of ale. It was much stronger than any alcohol she had ever tasted, and she was feeling quite loopy within minutes of consumption. She had a long conversation with the merchant about the taxes; he was obviously a big opponent of any new taxes on merchants, but Katara insisted (in her manly voice) that taxes helped keep the country alive and flourishing.

The merchant soon seemed bored, and told "Katain" that he had to go back outside to check his cart.

"Just wait here for me," he said with a shifty grin that Katara's alcohol-buzzed brain didn't pick up. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He winked at the bartender and then made his way out the door.

She sat at the bar and twiddled her thumbs, staring offhandedly at a wall. Amid the buzz of the conversation amongst all the customers, her thoughts wandered to how old those walls probably were. Bugs crept along the side of it, burrowing their way into the old wood. Getting impatient, Katara was beginning to try to stand up when the bartender thunked another mug of ale onto the bar in front of her.

"Drink up. It's on me," he said gruffly, his eyes shifting guiltily away from her. Shrugging and taking a swig, Katara decided she would wait a few moments longer and then go outside to leave. She wasn't feeling like waiting for the merchant, anyways. Thanking the bartender and standing, she staggered out of the pub. Gripping the side of the door for support, Katara drunkenly surveyed the area for her horse.

"Appa?" she called out. No response. She stumbled completely outside the pub and looked directly at where she had left him. His rope was cut, and he was gone.

"DAMMIT!" Katara shouted into the sky, drawing quite a few glares and curious glances from the surrounding people. "THAT BASTARD!"

She toddled over to the post where she had tied him, picking up the sawed, frayed rope. A murderous instinct constricted her throat.

That _FILS DE PUTE _took my _HORSE _that my _MOM gave me! DOES HE KNOW WHO HE'S MESSING WITH? _She glared around the crowd, looking for her horse or his abductor. Her fingers itched to strangle his little smooth-talking throat. He would be on _every single wanted poster _and have a hefty bounty on his head. Wanted alive, of course, just so she could have the satisfaction of guillotining him. _Yes_, she thought_, just as soon as I get hom-_

"Home," she half-whispered, half-croaked.

Blinking rapidly, trying to clear tears from her eyes, she shook her head slowly. She couldn't go home; her father was probably in great distress- freaking out, to be exact. She was surprised that the royal search party hadn't found her yet. Tears now streaming down her face, she burst through the crowd, running. Shocked gasps and grunts of annoyance signaled each person she barreled past, and finally she broke free from the market.

She ran down the road, not caring about where she was headed; she was just trying to put as much distance between her and Paris as possible. Her feet pattered swiftly on the road, her shoes flying up into the air as she discarded them. Every so often she let out a shriek of despair, wracking sobs following, and finally letting a new onslaught of tears to dump themselves down her face.

When her feet were cracked and thoroughly sore, she slowed down and made her way into the forest that was looming to her right. She wandered around, the moonlight shining through the leaves making her even sadder.

"Mother, I never told you that I could waterbend," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I never told you my deepest secret. And now I just lost our horse." Katara fell to her knees, wailing. "Why? Mother, why? I didn't mean for this to happen!" Anger and self-loathing began to throb in her veins, and fury boiled her over. Standing abruptly, she kicked a tree as hard as she could with one of her sore feet.

"Why did I leave father?" she roared, punching the same tree with her weathered hands. "Nobody will forgive me! Nobody! I'm so stupid for doing this!" Her knuckles and feet began to bleed, hot blood spattering onto the ground as she gritted her teeth.

Crumpling to the ground in despair, she let out a cluster of coughs before collapsing into a fitful sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Pain woke her up. The pain in her legs seared through her being, the pain in her hands piercing her arms. But her heart.

It felt like someone had torn out her heart.

Glaring at the sky through the trees, she let the fire of pain engulf her body and decided to ignore it. The sun was too bright, too happy to soothe her anger. She ripped off the stupid boy clothing and pulled on her normal outfit, leaving the discarded clothes lying in a pile beneath the leaves and moss. Crawling towards a gap in the trees, she hoisted herself onto her legs. If she were to get herself out of there, she had to bear the pain, no matter how much there was.

Upon exiting the forest, her eyes lit up in recognition.

"The Wu Manor!"

She looked around, searching the land, to find she was right. Madame Wu, or Aunt Wu, as she informed everyone to call her, was an old family friend that ran a manor north of Paris. She had never been there, nor did she know exactly where it was, but the telltale colors of black, yellow, and red stripes on the workers and the castle itself were evidence enough.

She made her way slowly across the field, and as soon as she crossed the threshold of the entry to the castle, Aunt Wu waltzed out of the doors.

"Katara!" Aunt Wu said grandly, "What a surprise! How are you doing?" She enveloped her in a big hug, sweeping her off her feet and twirling her in a circle.

"Trr-rrribl," Katara mumbled incoherently, then winced when Aunt Wu set her back down on the ground.

"Good, good," Aunt Wu said with a wide smile. "Can I get you anything?"

"A doctor would be nice," Katara said sourly, gesturing to the drying blood on her legs and hands.

"Goodness gracious, I should have noticed your wounded state earlier! Of course I'll get you a doctor! You'll be fixed up in no time!" She took Katara's hand and led her into the castle. After a varying array of twists and turns through the hallways, Katara was on a bed in the doctor's quarters. He was a waterbender; drawing a hefty amount of water from a pot in the corner of his office, and bent it over Katara's body, healing her wounds. Quickly saying her many thanks, Katara was then dragged out the door.

"Dearest! Your clothes are so decrepit and you look so boyish! Unfit for a Princess, that's what it is!" Aunt Wu declared. Katara was dragged up the central staircase, a swarm of servants were upon her, cleaning her, dressing her in a powder blue gown, combing her tangled hair. She was then dragged down the staircase. Everything was seeming to pass by in a flurry.

"It's so nice that you came!" Aunt Wu said joyfully, clasping Katara's hands in hers. "I've visited you in your home many times, but I don't recall you ever coming here!"

"You're right, I've never been here," Katara said, nodding. "I-uh, thought I'd pay you a visit," was the lie that tumbled off her tongue.

"I'm so glad you decided to do that, my little Katara! I haven't seen you in a while! I bet your brother, Sokka, would like to see you! In fact," she said, an expression of intuition dawning on her face, "I bet all the knights-in-training would fancy to see you!"

"That would be nice," Katara replied, chewing nervously on one of her fingernails. Knights in training? Some of them would probably be _extremely _cute.

Nodding and smiling, Aunt Wu exited the castle and scurried around to the back. Katara waited for what seemed like mere moments before Aunt Wu brought six young men back inside.

"Princess Katara, I would like to introduce to you Duke, Antoine, Vincent, Yves, and Valentin." Aunt Wu gestured to Sokka. "You already know your brother." Sokka nodded to Katara, sticking his tongue out immaturely. Katara replied with the same gesture. "They are all fine, young men with great potential." All six of them bowed respectfully, and Katara motioned for them to stand up.

While Aunt Wu babbled about her oh-so-lovable knights, Katara looked them all over pretty thoroughly, even though she only got a few seconds for each individual guy. Duke was pretty short for his age, sandy brown hair, adorable but not very attractive. Antoine was very, very tall, quite hairy, but looked like a pretty amicable guy. Vincent looked... _creepy_. His hair was matted and hanging about his face, and his eyes glinted with something that looked way too close to malice. Yves and Valentin were the only two remotely good-looking guys out of the group, both tall, clean-shaven, and scrumptiously muscular. Katara didn't even glance at Sokka. When she regained her sense of the conversation, Aunt Wu was babbling out of confusion.

"Where's- wait a second? Where is he? Katara, would you come with me? We must find him. Antoine and Yves, you're on kitchen duty. Prepare a lovely dinner for us all, and _please_, _pour l'amour de Dieu, _use all the bread this time. There was _way _too much that was wasted last time." After a quick, embarrassed glance that Antoine and Yves shared, the two headed around a corner to what Katara assumed was the kitchen. And, once again, she was being dragged by Aunt Wu out the castle.

They rounded the stony wall of the castle and came upon the training ground; it was a large, grassy area with a fenced-off, dirt rectangle. As they approached the training ground, a figure within the gates came into focus for Katara. She turned to Aunt Wu.

"What's going on?" Katara asked, confused. "Why are we back here?"

"You'll see," Aunt Wu replied, grinning from ear to ear. They arrived at the splintery gate, and Katara walked directly up to it, her mind going utterly blank.

She didn't know if the Lord Wu was allowed to let his pupils train shirtless, but Katara had no objections to speak of when it came to this one.

His lean body looked slightly on the thin side, but after studying him more closely, he was actually quite muscular; Katara assumed he was somewhere in his mid-to-late-teens. His dark brown hair was cut short, swishing swiftly back and forth, shining under the glistening sky. His body was slick with sweat; it looked as if he had been training for a while. He looked deeply focused, concentrating on the wooden dummy he was practicing his swordsmanship on. His fingers shifted, gripping the sword tighter, and he spun, unleashing a huge swipe upon the poor training dummy. The pupil's delicious rippling muscles brought immense color to Katara's cheeks.

"A-Aunt Wu?" Katara stammered, trying to control the blush creeping about her face, "Who's that?"

"Oh, you like him?" Aunt Wu said, grinning even wider than she was before.

"Aunt Wu, you tease me that way every time I see you," Katara whined, memories flooding back to her. "You'd take me to the baker's shop, buy me a bit of bread, and then say something like, 'Katara! Do you like the baker's son?'" she mimicked, blushing completely now.

Aunt Wu laughed; it was a beautiful, joyful sound, and made Katara feel better (although it did not soothe her blush.) "My little Katara, I wouldn't have done it so much if your reaction weren't the same, cute reaction every time!" She mussed Katara's hair in a motherly fashion, and immediately Katara was trying to brush her hair out again.

Katara's big blue eyes wandered back to the knight-in-training, who was now sparring with Sokka, the sword discarded a good twenty feet away. Every time Sokka threw a well-aimed punch, he dodged with much more ease than what was natural. Soft breezes erupted whenever he swung at Sokka, and as Katara examined the two more closely, she noticed that the air was moving around the boy in a very peaceful but unnatural way.

"Aunt Wu?" Katara asked, confusion being the foremost look on her face. Aunt Wu picked up on it right away.

"I should probably tell you, my little Katara. His name is Aang, and he's the last Airbender."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I'm so very sorry it took me so long to update, but I just never had the time ;A;

EDIT: WOOT! CHAPTER 3 IS DONE! :D Prepare for more editation coming up!

~Momo


	4. Aang

Hi guys! Sorry that the chapter took longer than usual, but there's nothing I can do about evil math teachers who pile on homework mercilessly while laughing behind your back.  
I really tried to hurry in finishing the chapter, and I'm sorry if some of you lost interest. :(

_EDIT: I decided that this chapter was a bit too rushed, and decided to add more detail. :) Please it read over again, because I clarified this chapter and added some bits and things._

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar and evil math teachers.

-0-0-0-0-

"The last Airbender?" Katara gasped, gripping the fence for support. "What do you mean the last Airbender?"

"Well, he came _all the way _from Switzerland. And, you know, after the Air-and-Fire war... well, he was the only remaining Airbender. They sent him here, to us, under cover so that the Pyres that have taken Germany wouldn't find him. They know that he's still out somewhere in Europe... just not here at the manor. Yet." Aunt Wu looked away, a darker emotion blooming in her eyes.

"Oh," Katara replied, somewhat lamely. "Will he be alright here?"

"Of course, of course," Aunt Wu laughed, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "It's not like he's the Avatar or anything."

At the precise moment that Aunt Wu finished her sentence, Aang tripped over his own feet and fell face-first into the dirt.

"_Mon Dieu_! Is he okay?" Katara gasped, vaulting the fence and running over to him as quickly as her feet would take her. He had bit the dirt _hard_. She had seen that happen to people during training at other manors, and more likely than not, knights-in-training came out of the incident missing teeth.

_This one's too attractive to be missing any teeth_, Katara couldn't help thinking to herself. She came up to him and knelt down beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you hurt, squire?"

"He'll be fine, Katara," Sokka said, nudging her out of the way and helping Aang to his feet. He pulled him up with a strong hand and Aang dusted himself off. Other than sporting a few scuffs and a red patch on his cheek that would probably bruise, he looked just fine.

_Hair tousled and dirt scuffs littering his body, but extremely fiiiiiiiiine. _Katara had to resist the urge to growl for the voice drooling in the back of her head to shut up. She couldn't recall ever being _this _attracted to anybody in her entire life; sure, a few cute guys here and there, but this... this was indescribable. It was like she wasn't in control of her emotions anymore... and after her mother died and this whole mess was started, she couldn't stand _not _being in control of what was happening to her.

As soon as he was up, Katara inclined her head so that she wouldn't ogle. Aang turned to Sokka.

"This is your sister?" he asked, shocked. When Sokka nodded, Aang dropped respectfully to one knee. "Princess," he said, holding out his hand. Blushing and smiling widely, Katara offered her hand. He kissed the back of it lightly, bowed, and then stood again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, squire," she said softly, taking a deep breath and trying to rid her mind of the swarming amorous thoughts. She started trying to think of anything but the boy in front of her.

"The pleasure is mine," Aang said, bowing in the slightest of ways. Sokka snorted and elbowed Aang in the side.

"Are you done with training? I'd like a turn, if you don't mind."

Aang let out a big sigh, trying to keep the color from reaching his light cheeks. The _last _thing he wanted was for Sokka to know that he thought his sister was pretty. He would get beaten to a pulp faster than the prized Wu stallion would get stolen in a market full of thieves. And considering the fact that the Wu Manor was renowned Europe-wide for its high-quality horses, that was pretty damn fast.

"I guess," he said grudgingly, glancing downwards.

"You guess? Of course you are!" Aunt Wu called from the fence. "You've been out here since dawn! Everyone on the Manor knows you're going to become an officially dubbed Knight 3 years early, but you don't need to flaunt it!"

"I'm not _flaunting _anything, Aunt Wu," Aang said, rolling his eyes. "I'm _training_. If I start _acting _like I'm some sort of prodigy, then I'll be the one that's dubbed 3 years _late_."

"Train all you like, Mr. Prodigy, but if you don't start flaunting _something_, you'll never get yourself a lady." At that, Aang's face hastily burned to a color mirroring that of a tomato.

"Aunt Wu!"

"I simply state the facts," Aunt Wu said frankly, shrugging and turning to walk away. "I'm going to check on dinner. You three have fun out here."

She was gone within seconds, grass crunching behind her swift footsteps. Sokka clapped a warm hand on Aang's shoulder.

"I am going to assign you the task of showing my sister around while I train. Make sure she enjoys herself," Sokka said. Then, unexpectedly, he half-whispered, half-snarled in Aang's ear, "And don't you dare pull anything funny."

Aang backed away from him, both hands defensively hanging in the air. "Hey, whatever you say, Sokka."

"Hay is for horses," Sokka grumbled, re-assembling the wooden dummy and picking up the warm handle of the discarded sword. "Be back by dinner," Sokka called to their retreating backs.

"Of course. Aunt Wu would kill us if we weren't," Katara said. Everyone chuckled a bit as they parted ways, but afterwards, Katara and Aang were met with an awkward, sheepish silence.

Gulping and still trying desperately to hide his nervous blush, Aang slightly stammered out, "W-well, Princess, where would you like to go first?"

"I've already seen some of the castle, and I'll probably see more of it later," Katara said slowly, thinking. "Where is your favorite place to relax and unwind?"

"W-why relaxing and unwinding?" Aang asked. Katara giggled lightly and rested a hand on his extremely tense shoulder.

"No offense, good squire, but you have a great need to relax. You've been training all day." She looked away. "Unless... you don't think you should take me."

He fisted a hand over his heart and looked her square in the eye. "Princess, I told your brother that I would show you around and that I would make sure you have a good time. If I didn't take you, I wouldn't have fulfilled either of those promises."

"Then, my good man, please find a way to calm your nerves and show me around!" Katara laughed, running a hand through her hair. "And there's no need to call me Princess, if that would help you calm yourself. Formalities have a tendency of causing great tension."

He thought on this as he started leading her to an entry to the forest. The sunlight glistened through little cracks in the dense treetops, making it look like the stars were falling onto the ground. It was utterly quiet except for the twittering of birds and the crunching of the leaves beneath their feet. After leading her over a few moss-covered logs and through breathtaking undergrowth, he finally spoke.

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Call me Katara, squire. Katara's just fine," she said simply.

"Now wait," Aang said, a smirk rising on his lips, "If I may call you by your first name, then you must call me by mine."

"Fine, Aang."

Aang looked absolutely dumbfounded. "How did you know my name?" For what felt like the millionth time that day, Katara felt her cheeks bloom with a rosy hue.

"Well," she said shyly, "Aunt Wu mentioned your name to me when I arrived at the fence encircling the training area."

"Ah, okay," Aang said, somewhat disheartened. He glanced away to his left, taking in the forest as they neared their destination. He was expecting to have her guess his name, give her a fake name, something playfully hilarious like that. Aang was a very uncommon name in these parts, and he was curious as to what the Princess would have guessed.

After a few more moments of a very awkward silence, Katara said thoughtfully, "If it pleases you, you may give me a proper introduction." Aang's eyes lit up.

"Well, Princess Katara, I am Squire Aang of the Wu Manor. I arrived here at age 10, became a page as soon as I set foot on the soil. I was promoted to a squire only four years later, three years earlier than the traditional seven. According to Lord Wu, I am expected to be dubbed a Knight three years early as well. I conduct myself with courtesy, bravery, honor, and in a gentlemanly fashion respecting women." He bowed, extending his hand in front of him while they walked. "Squire Aang at your service, my Princess."

Katara laughed, grinning at him. "You memorized that very well, didn't you?"

"Be quiet," Aang said, sticking his tongue playfully out at her. "All knights-to-be need an impressive introduction."

"Oh, do they now?" Katara said, laughing even more.

"Jeez, shush. It's not _that _funny," Aang said, rolling his eyes. He nudged her with his shoulder as they passed through a gap in the trees. "We're here."

Katara's eyes lit up with wonder and awe as she took in the beautiful expanse of nature before her. A beautiful small lake extended before her, and beyond it lay one of the greenest meadows she'd ever seen. Turtleducks bobbed up and down near the shore of the lake, and flowers were bright splashes of color against the ground.

Aang looked over to the beautiful girl standing next to him. Her sparkling aquamarine eyes sent chills through his chest, filling him with a feeling he couldn't describe. The way her dark, chocolate locks rustled and swayed in the wind, the way the smile flowering on her face warmed his heart.

_Is this love_? He wondered to himself, looking down at his feet. _I haven't known her for more than ten minutes, and yet..._

Yet...

"Aang, this-" she said, gesturing to the amazing scenery before them, "this is absolutely beautiful!" Aang smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I'm glad you like it! This is where I go if I need a breath of fresh air."

"Fresh air indeed," she smiled back at him, "I can feel the crispest breezes blowing in from the wilderness."

"The thing I like about this place," Aang said thoughtfully, looking up to the sky, "is its pureness. It hasn't been touched by the finger of society quite yet, it still holds an abundance of natural, thriving beauty."

"The water looks as if it is brimming with purity indeed," Katara murmured, her pulse quickening. She could smell the clear water as clearly as if it were fruit or spices, the urge to waterbend becoming hard to offset by the second. She stole a glance at Aang. Should she waterbend in front of this squire that she barely knew? She never waterbended in front of anybody, let alone her own family.

"I hope you don't mind, Katara, but I'm just going to feed the turtleducks for a bit," Aang said, revealing a quarter-loaf of bread from his pocket.

"I don't mind at all," Katara replied, still deep in thought. Her eyes followed his turned back as he crouched, breaking off pieces of the bread with his nimble fingers. Turtleducks rushed up to his bent over form, quacking excitedly as he dropped the pieces down to the ground.

_He seems like a great person_, Katara quietly mused to herself. _Aunt Wu even said that he's an airbender. _Her eyes flicked back over to the tantalizing water, and she shrugged.

Throwing caution to the wind, she stood, dusted herself off, and waded into the pond. Aang's head popped up and watched her curiously.

"Princess? What are you-"

"I thought I asked you to call me Katara, squire," she said, grinning. Before he could say another word, she closed her eyes and took a calm starting stance, consisting of her standing upright, arms relaxed but held perpendicular to her shoulders in front of her, all breath exhaled from her lungs. Her eyes flashed open, her arms swirling through the air, and water began to dance upward in a gigantic form.

Her lips puckered, and a soft breath left her mouth; she watched as the fluid body of the water stopped all motion and froze with a string of little cracking noises. She looked up at her work, dazzling in all its frozen glory under the brilliant sunlight.

"Wow," Aang breathed, awestruck. "It's... you're..."

Katara looked over to Aang, a beautiful smile lacing her face. "Do you like it?"

It was a smaller version of what looked like a giant elephant trout sitting atop a wave; the scales were quite pronounced, the eyes large and glassy, the fins seeming to ripple in an invisible current.

"It's... amazing," Aang said slowly. "It looks very lifelike, almost as if it's swimming in the ocean this very second!"

Katara blushed, not used to such genuine praise.

_I'm glad I showed him_, Katara said, smiling to herself as she walked over to rejoin him. However, she couldn't stop feeling the guilty feeling simmering in her gut. _My parents know nothing of my gift, and yet I just revealed it to a complete stranger._

A. Complete. Stranger.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

YAYS! I FINISHED THIS CHAPTER! Lettuce go to the next one! (LOL King Bumi)

~Momo


	5. Explain

Hi again! I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, but I just couldn't think about what to do next! Writers block is EVIL! AHHH!

Disclaimer: I, sadly, don't own Avatar. :(

..oo00OO00oo..

The guilt that had been stirring suddenly sent a flurry of jabs of shame through her heart. She dropped down next to Aang and winced, her heart pounding and hurting with each thump.

"What's wrong? Did you get hurt?" He started to get to his feet, but she waved her hand in dismissal.

"It's... it's nothing," she said slowly, looking at the ground. She felt an overwhelming urge to cry; her throat was constricting itself and tears were building up already. Just the thought of her mother sent waves of regret washing over her. _You couldn't even entrust the person you trusted most with your secret. And you shared it with a someone you barely even know._

"I _know_ something's wrong," Aang declared, resting a hand on her shoulder. "My lady, you can tell me. I, your faithful knight-in-training, am here for you." Katara shook her head.

"It's just... just..." She glanced up to the confused and concerned look on Aang's face and decided that she owed him an explanation.

"I'm a waterbender," Katara said. Aang had to try his hardest to not snort in laughter.

"I guessed as much when I watched you make that incredible elephant trout statue," he replied easily, hoping he wouldn't upset her any more than she already was.

"You're the first person on this planet other than my old head maid to watch me waterbend," Katara said sullenly. "I never even showed my own mother. And she's dead."

Aang's eyes widened in shock. For a few moments, he didn't know what to say. "I'm... so sorry, Katara," he finally said softly. "I'm honored that you would show me your gift." He gestured to the fish statue. "But now I feel that I've been graced with an undeserved gift."

Katara wiped her eyes, ensuring that no stupid tears would fall. His response had quickly calmed her fried nerves, silenced any guilt boiling within her. "Don't be sorry, Aang, and I mean it. It was my own fault that I never showed my mother, but now I pray when she watches down on me," she said, pausing to look up at the sky, "that she'll forgive me. Something in my heart tells me that she'd be happy that I showed you."

"Thank you, Katara," he said, smiling, relieved that she felt better. "I can't tell you enough about how truly amazing your display was."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to be able to spend time with you, Aang," Katara replied earnestly, earning a cute, embarrassed blush from him.

Not knowing exactly how to reply, Aang uneasily changed the subject.

"So you're a waterbender?"

"Yes," Katara smiled back at him. He probably wasn't used to getting complements from girls his age.

"That's really amazing! They're somewhat rare in this part of Europe."

"Truly. I've never met another waterbender, save the healers."

"Why? Wouldn't a princess get to meet many waterbenders in her country?"

"Aang, I'm the Princess of France, and out of all my travels and such, I've never met another. I know of places outside of Europe where waterbenders are very common, but in France, I am the sole waterbender."

"That's incredible," Aang whispered. "The only waterbender in all of France? That's very strange, seeing as France is so populous, you'd think there would be more benders. You know, Princess, France is the one place I've never been, so that must be why I'm so surprised... You're absolutely sure? The _only _waterbender in _all _of France?"

Something he said caught her attention.

"Wait, we're not in France?" Aang shook his head.

"Princess, you don't even know where we are?"

"No... wait... where are we?"

He had to laugh. "Princess, The Wu Manor is right across the border of Belgium! I thought you knew!"

"I crossed the border? Running? Barefoot? Crying? That can't be..." Katara rubbed her forehead to make sure she wasn't still lying in the woods somewhere. This couldn't be a dream...

"What happened?" Aang's eyes quickly became filled with concern. "Why would you come here _that_ way? That doesn't sound right at all."

Katara sighed. If she was going to trust him with her deepest secret, she might as well tell him the others. "I ran away from home. My father doesn't know I'm here. To aid me with my escape, I took the most beautiful horse in all of Europe. He was a snow white stallion that my mom gave me when I was a child."

"So he must be really important to you, since your mother's... you know..."

"Yeah," Katara said, drawing her knees up to her chest. "He was my one of the last gifts I had from my mother."

"_Was_?" Aang asked. "What do you mean, 'was?'"

"I'll get to that," Katara replied gloomily. "After I prepared my disguise, I rode my horse into downtown Paris in order to get onto a road that would take me to Switzerland."

"Switzerland? Why would you want to go there?" Aang sounded greatly surprised.

"Well, in these times, nobody really bothers with them, so I thought it would be a nice and peaceful place to hide until... well... I hadn't really thought that part through yet. Anyways, I rode into town in my disguise, and the traders kept on trying to make light conversation with me. Right before I was going to leave town, one tricked me into going with him to a bar. He got me drunk, and while I was inside... he... he..."

"He did what?" Aang prompted, knowing full well what was coming next.

"He took my horse," Katara said, gripping the frills of her dress. "I was furious, distraught, scared... a mixture of emotions that just overwhelmed me so I just... ran. I didn't know where I was going, I just ran until my feet where numb and my lungs felt as if there were going to burst. I ended up in a forest, coincidentally right outside this manor, and I slept on the forest floor."

"That's awful," Aang said. He paused, thinking for a while. "May I ask a question of you?"

"Of course."

"May I know... why you ran from home?" He had a strong feeling that she wouldn't tell him, but he wanted to know why she had fled her home in the first place. Maybe there was some way he could aid her, some way he could help her fix things.

Katara looked from side to side, and upon seeing nobody else, she leaned in closer and whispered, "You musn't tell _anyone_."

"I won't, my lady," Aang said, crossing his heart with his lean fingers, "I promise you that."

"Well then... I will be forced to marry in exactly two months, down to this day. I'm going to be turning sixteen," she whispered, Aang's eyes widening as she finished her sentence.

"An arranged marriage? To whom?"

"My father really loves me, so my father was going to let me choose between a set of suitors, you know, Princes and such. He didn't want to pick for me and end up having me be miserable for the rest of my life."

"Princes from where?"

"There were three Princes from the Earth Kingdom in Spain, or a Pyre brat from Germany!" She spat the last few words venomously, still seething over the way that Prince Zuko treated her.

"Wait," Aang said slowly. "You had to marry some princes from Spain or Prince Zuko?" He seemed shocked at this new information.

"Yeah... how do you know his name?" Katara asked. "I had never heard of him before he showed up in the courtroom and..." she trailed off. Aang was reeling.

"Didn't you hear about him? It was all over, well... everywhere! It was the talk of the streets and the town yesterday!"

"What?"

"Prince Zuko was banished from his country, and now he's out to search for the Avatar!" The words rang in Katara's ears. Banished. Exiled. A fate worse than death to a ruler of such a country.

"No way, how cruel... How did he get banished?" she asked, feeling like some gossiping old lady. "Do you know anything more?" She leaned in closer involuntarily.

"Yeah," Aang said, enjoying that she was so engrossed in what he was saying. "From what I heard, the story goes that he attended a war meeting with his father, and sort of questioned the honor of one of the generals. For his insolence, his punishment was to duel the man. But, out of shame, his father took the old general's place and dueled his son instead. I can't remember the rest of the details. Oh, and he lost to his father, of course."

"Wow. I didn't know his father felt so strongly about his outburst," she commented, scratching revenge on Zuko from her to-do list. "However, his banishment can't do too much harm, I don't think."

"No disrespect intended, but you can't be further from the truth, Princess," Aang said, looking away somewhat scornfully.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not okay that he was sent to chase the Avatar. It's _not_ okay that he got an entire squadron of the German army to head with him. It's **_not _**okay that he's marching into Belgium within a month!" His voice shook slightly as he finished, and he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. She could see a flurry of emotions swirling in his eyes, but the predominant one being fear.

"Why?" The simple question that slipped from her lips calmed him somewhat, but she could tell that he was still extremely tense.

"Because..." He looked like he was struggling to release something from the burden on his shoulders. "Because..."

"Because what, Aang?" Katara prompted softly, lifting her hand to his cheek. He looked her straight in the eye, the dark, stormy gray of his eyes settling on nothing but her ocean blue ones.

"This is a secret that _you _can't tell anybody, Princess."

"I promise," she whispered, crossing her heart as well. "I'll never tell a soul." And she meant it. She could never think of a good enough reason to hurt this caring young squire.

"Princess, if you must know, it's because _I_ am the Avatar."

..oo00OO00oo..

OOOhhhhh! :) I bet none of you saw THAT one coming XD

_EDIT:_ Five chapters re-done, more re-do's to come! :D

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. Running to Belgium from Paris all in one night is basically impossible, but just go with it, okay? XD

~Momo


	6. Obsession

Hi everybody! Thanks so much for the reviews! I found a mini-time-slot in which I will type as much as I can!

**A/N:** Bear with me while this chapter is waiting to be edited, please! It takes a while... *sigh*

Disclaimer: See past disclaimers to notice what those disclaimers might have in common with this disclaimer. *HINT: Wittiness.*

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Hours later, Katara sat riding on a horse. She didn't know where she was going, nor did she know who she was holding onto in front of her. All that she knew was that hours earlier, Aunt Wu had set this up.

Princess Katara had no idea why Aunt Wu did this; she had to know that in France, Princesses could not marry Knights. But the catch was that they were in Belgium at the moment...

Her mind flashed back to Aunt Wu's smile, and her stunning negotiating skills.

**- Flashback-**

"Oh, Katara! You _must _go out with one of my handsome young men!" Aunt Wu had proposed with her signature puppy-fox eyes.

"No, no! I cannot!" Katara groaned. She was getting tired of Auntie; she acted more like a kid than the Princess did.

"I shall send with you the most attractive in all of the land, and if you like him, I can negotiate with your father," she said, smirking. She knew Katara couldn't resist.

And she didn't. She was so excited to see the most handsome teenager in all of Belgium that she nodded her head quickly, and soon thereafter regretted it. Aunt Wu then scooped her up with her strong arms and Katara couldn't remember much after that.

**-End Flashback-**

So here Katara was sitting on the back of a horse, clinging to a boy whose name she did not know.

They rode on endlessly and wordlessly, trotting through the moonlit countryside. The grass sparkled and the trees rustled as the clopping of the horse's hooves hit the dirt... it seemed like a dream.

When they arrived at a small little hill, the mystery boy hopped down from the horse and graciously helped Katara down. She landed lightly on the balls of her feet and fell into step with him as they walked. He led her silently up to the hill, and then pulled her down to sit. When her bottom was planted on the ground, she looked out over the land.

A large gasp escaped her lips.

There was a meadow; a meadow abounding in shining grass, little trees... and the flowers!. It was encircled with moon flowers and daffodils and lilies; it was a magical sight. The flowers seemed to glow in the moonlight, like small little candelights all shining in a wonderland of bliss.

Smiling widely, Katara sprang from her spot and leapt into the meadow, twirling like a dancer at a ball. She laughed while she spun round and round, feeling almost like a joyful top. When she fell over from the spinning, she then lay down on the grass, dizzy, and staring up at the endless stars.

When the boy approached and lay down next to her, she sat up.

"Who _are_ you?" she asked curiously. "Why would you take me to this breathtakingly beautiful place?" She tried to look at his face through his hood, but found it impossible.

The boy shook his head and sat up as well. "It's not as breathtakingly beautiful as you," Aang said simply, smiling and pulling down his hood.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"So, how was it?" Aunt Wu asked smugly when Katara sprinted inside, completely flushed.

When Katara caught her breath, she seemed to go into utter obsession. "Oh, I love him! I love him! -!" Aunt Wu clapped a hand over Katara's mouth.

"Good," was all she said. "I'll see if your father will accept it." And she was gone from the room. Leaving Katara standing there, blushing furiously and confused.

She wandered around the castle, wondering where she was going to sleep. But she wasn't the only thing that was wandering.

It was as if her mind was jumping from castle to castle; she couldn't keep up with her own train of thought. When she tried to trace it, it always seemed to wander back to Aang.

Aang, to knights, to Sokka, to the moon, to water, to hygiene, to beauty, to Aang, to dresses, to Aang, to food, to hair, to Aang, to herself, to dad, to Aang.

Aang. Aang. Aang.

Is that all she could think about?

_No!_ Katara decided. _I am **not **obsessed with him._

But then she found herself hoping that she would run into him while she was wandering around the castle.

_UGH! Who am I kidding_, she thought. _I'm definately obsessed with him_. _Why only one day, though? It's only the first day of knowing him, and I'm already obsessed... That just doesn't seem right. Why? Why me? Does this normally happen to girls? Is it normal to suddenly fall in love and then get obsessed and... Am I thinking about this too much?_

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_  
_

Strangely, the same thing was occuring to Aang.

He was wondering why in the world he was hopelessly in love with a girl he had only met this morning. It was weird. Different. Out of hand. He never should have let this crush come to this.

Aang had considered asking Aunt Wu where Katara would be sleeping, but no matter how he worded it, it always ended up sounding one thousand times more perverted than his intentions were.

All he wanted to do was ask her more questions about her life as a Princess! That was all! All he wanted, really, to know why she wanted to go to Switzerland. Why? Of all the countries in Europe she could have gone to... Why Switzerland? Was it for the reasons Aang presumed?

His thoughts were interrupted. Of course they were! How could they not have?

A goddess had just stepped through his door.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

YAYS! Yesh, a goddess. You'll see. XD

~Momo


	7. A Midnight Encounter

Yay! I'm so glad that most people liked the last chapter! I decided to write another one right away because a lot of people hated the cliffy.

**A/N:** Bear with me while this chapter is waiting to be edited, please! It takes a while... *sigh*

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AVATAR! I will shout it from the highest mountain with everyone else, so all will know of my misery.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

There was dead silence.

The silence. Was dead.

Here's an example: Take the most awkward moment that you've ever endured and the following silence and multiply it by a million. Then try to add in the factor that the person you are utterly obsessed with is standing right in front of you as it just occurred. That doesn't come close to how dead the silence was.

The two stared at each other, a blush growing quickly on both of their faces.

"Uh... why are you in my room?" Aang asked slowly, trying to sound as polite and calm as possible.

"Erm..." Katara didn't know what to say. She had been mindlessly wandering around... she didn't mean for it to end up this way! "I was... kind of... moseying around and... uh..."

The blushes on their faces spread until they both resembled tomatoes.

It seemed like they were frozen there for an eternity. Katara standing up and looking down, and Aang, laying down and looking up.

After a while, Katara sucked up all her courage and asked, "Would you happen to know where my room is?"

He thought for a moment. "I have no clue. Mrs. Omanito never really has guests. It's only the new knights in training. You know, pages? We typically sleep in this wing of the castle," he said, gesturing around him. "As you get older, you get a nicer room."

"Damn," Katara said. "I have no place to sleep. I guess I'll have to go outside and look for a place to lay down."

She turned to leave, but Aang caught her hand.

"No, it's okay! I mean, since you don't have a place to rest, I guess you can sleep with me." As soon as the words were out, Katara turned red and Aang hacked out a loud cough.

"What?"

"I-I mean, you can take my bed, and I'll sleep on the floor," he amended quickly.

"Why must you sleep on the floor?" Katara asked. "You can have your bed! I'll sleep on the floor. It's your bed, after all."

She made a move to sit down on the cold, stone floor, but Aang yanked her back up. "No. You _must _sleep on the bed. You're a Princess. You get the bed," he said.

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked. Katara walked over to the bed and sat down. "Nobody has ever been so nice to me before."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked softly, taking a seat next to her. "Why has no one ever been nice to you?"

"I guess it's because I'm a princess," Katara said. "They expect me to be dumb and thoughtless, with no brain. My father loves me, but he has to live by the law. If he bends any law for me, then it's out the door for him. That's why I have to get married. The whole kingdom of France was watching for my father to bend the rules so I won't have to get married, and he was nervously checking if it would be possible to bend the law. However, after some time, he got tired and his adviser told him to just make me marry someone. His adviser is evil."

"Evil? Why would King Hakoda's adviser be evil?" Aang asked.

"Well, Adviser Zhao basically makes all the decisions for my father. He is the one that orders me to wear the dresses, the faint lessons that will not help me to be a ruler at all, and the idiotic things that he found in the smallest laws. He makes me do it all. Since I am not yet sixteen, and the top maidservant can order me around as well. They treat me like I have no inner thoughts, no morals, no loves or hates. Like I am stupid," Katara said.

"That's horrible!" Aang said, thoroughly concerned. "How could they do that to you?"

"I don't know. My father doesn't even know. And when my mother died from the plague..." She stopped when her voice cracked, tears streaming down her face. "I couldn't do anything. She was the only one that treated me like a ruler. Like a princess. Then, before I knew it, I took her place. I was not the queen, but I was pretty close. As soon as that happened, I became dirt in Zhao's eyes. He knew that I would take my father's place, since my brother rejected Princehood and went off to become a noble knight. He was jealous.

"When my mother died, my father was so devastated that he retreated to his room for one hundred days of mourning. I ruled in his place, sealing or denying laws with his ring. I ordered a hundred days of mourning onto the country as well.

"After running the kingdom for one hundred days, I had hoped that Adviser Zhao would take his cue and leave. I didn't listen to him the whole time that I was ruling in my father's place. When my father emerged from his room, unshaven beard and bloodshot eyes showing through his mass of tangled hair, I knew that something was wrong. But, just the same, he rules the kingdom as if nothing happened. And I was returned to the small, insignificant girl that sits in a dark corner and shrivels like a dying flower. My father ordered callers to begin as soon as I turned fifteen. I have seen princes from all over, and they all treated me as a prize to be won, not a human being."

"That's... that's... unheard of," Aang murmured. "A prize to be won... that's far from it."

"What?" Katara said, looking up from her hands as Aang dried her tears with his thumb.

"You are not a prize. You are a princess. The most beautiful and caring one in the history of princesses," Aang said, smiling slightly.

"That is also the sweetest thing I have ever heard from anybody," Katara sighed. "You are truly a kind knight."

"Why thank you, Princess Katara," Aang said, smiling.

They sat in silence, happy to be with each other. Katara sat, thinking, as she stared out the window.

Time passed. Moments, seconds, minutes ticked by. The silence was beginning to become thick with awkwardness again. Suddenly, Aang asked a question that Katara was not expecting.

"Princess?" Aang asked. Katara sighed.

"You can call me Katara, you know. I'm getting tired of all the formality.

"Okay, then. Katara?"

"Yes, Aang?"

"Have you ever been in love before?" It sounded so innocent, so sweet. Katara wondered if she could have the heart to tell him.

"Twice," Katara replied, hoping he would listen and not get angry.

She could feel him stiffen next to her. "The first?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

Katara just couldn't tell him, but she had to. "There was a teenager. His name was Jet. He was a prince that my father called upon."

Aang almost stood up in anger, but clenched his fists and willed himself to sit. "_Was_?" he asked, the jealousy in his voice seeping out slightly.

"It was a mere crush. He was handsome and dashing, but he was a horrible person. He destroyed a town of full innocent people," Katara said, the devastation of the incident causing her voice to waver.

Aang shook his head, but forced himself to talk. "The second?" He knew that she didn't like him. She had just accidentally walked into his room...

"There was this other teenager that I met," Katara started dreamily. "He was a billionfold more handsome than Jet. He was nice, funny, kind, and the quality that touched my heart... he actually cared about me. His endless stormy gray eyes caught mine and I just couldn't look away..."

Aang rolled his eyes, and all the doubt disappeared. "I wonder who that could be?"

"I wonder as well..."

Katara stared into Aang's eyes.

"Katara?" Aang just had to say one more thing.

"Yes, Aang?"

"It may be kind of strange... but... well... uh..." He didn't know how to word it, but he _really _needed to tell her.

"Yes?"

"I... kind of... erm..."

She read the embarassment in his eyes and the blush on his cheeks... she decided to say it for him.

"I love you," Aang blurted as Katara opened her mouth. She closed it and smiled.

"I love you, too," Katara said. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

Aang couldn't help it. She was the first girl in his whole life that had ever uttered those words... he just sort of... kissed back.

Both pairs of eyes were closed, and they slowly reclined back down onto the bed, kissing.

Neither had ever felt this way before... and neither had felt this overwhelmed.

Katara had expected the feeling of love to be different... when showing sibling love to her brother such as hugs and compliments and such, Katara had expected it to be a chore. But... now it was waves of attraction pulling her closer to the object of her affection.

It was the same with Aang. He had thought that he would never meet someone that would ever like him the way Katara did...

A door slammed open.

"WHOA!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA! ANOTHER CLIFFY! hee hee hee!

~Momo


	8. Argh! We Can't Get Married!

Hi again! I decided that since it's the weekend, I would update! :)

**A/N:** Bear with me while this chapter is waiting to be edited, please! It takes a while... *sigh*

DISCLAIMER: Do I really need to repeat myself? Apparently I do. Don't sue me. I only have a shiny nickel and a piece of abc bubble gum!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"WHAT THE HECK?" Both of them leapt out of the bed and landed on the floor at the sound of Sokka's voice.

Looking up from the ground, Katara smiled nervously. "Hi Sokka!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"And that is why you shouldn't like boys you can't be with," Sokka finished, having just explained about five long, boring laws implemented in France forbidding Princesses to marry Knights.

"Well, you can take those laws and shove them-" Katara started furiously.

"Katara!"

"What? I was going to say, 'In the trash!" Katara said innocently.

"Anyways," Aang said, trying not to laugh, "we need to think of a way to work this out... Is there any way we can find a loophole through any of these laws?"

"No," Sokka said bluntly.

They all thought silently for a while. Katara twiddled her thumbs. Aang played with the loose hem on his pants.

"Not that I'm against you two being together," Sokka said. "I'm happy that you finally found someone you like, Katara. I just have looked over the laws time and time again, and I haven't found a single loophole. A single loophole! It's like the writers of the law knew that something like this would happen in advance! It is so infuriating."

"We _need _to find a loophole," Katara emphasized.

"It's just so annoying that France has all of these rules about marriage!" Sokka said.

"WAIT! I have an idea!" Aang said suddenly.

"What? What is it?" Sokka and Katara at the same time.

"I found a loophole!"

"What?" Katara said.

"You know how it's illegal for a princess to marry a knight, you being the princess and I being the knight? We can't marry in France, right?"

"So..." Katara said, not knowing where he was going with this.

"So we don't get married in France!" Aang exclaimed.

"What are you three talking about?" Aunt Wu shouted, slamming the door open.

The three froze.

"I just talked with your father, Katara, and he said he was happy that you found a boy you like," she said.

"Yes!" The three rejoiced.

"But he says that he is sorry. The law clearly states that you cannot marry this boy," she said, gesturing to Aang. "I'm so sorry. Nothing I negotiated would be accounted. I'm not used to that..."

"Crap. Great," Katara said. "That's... excellent. Beautiful. There goes my last chance in flames." She ground her knuckles into her forehead.

"I really tried, Katara. I did. I'm seriously not used to losing in an argument..." Aunt Wu confessed.

Katara sat up straighter and smiled. "I just thought of an idea! Aunt Wu, can you send a letter my father?"

"Of course," she replied, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill. She sat down at Aang's desk and began to write.

"Say that I am off travelling. Then add that my relationship with the knight is through," she said.

"WHAT?" Aang and Sokka shouted at the same time.

"Wait a minute. Just wait. Done?" Katara asked Aunt Wu.

"Yeah. Next?"

"Well, then say that I am touring Europe in search for minor princes. Ones whose names aren't as big as Haru or Teo. Then finish with saying that I will return to France with a husband on the date when I turn sixteen."

Aunt Wu scribbled quickly while Aang and Sokka just sat there, jaws hanging wide open.

"Done!" she said, sealing it and standing up. "I'll go send it to be delivered. You three get some sleep. You have a tour tomorrow, remember?" She scurried out the door.

Katara turned to the two boys, whose jaws were still currently hanging.

"Cut it out, Aang, Sokka. I'm _not_ through with you, Aang. I just sent that because I need my father to think that you don't matter anymore. Then, while on my tour, I meet the prince of my dreams in... Italy? Then, we get married in Italy, return to France, and there! We're married!"

"That's great!" Aang said. "I would never thought of that!"

"Wait a second," Sokka said. "You wouldn't be able to get married! You're only fifteen!"

"Got it handled, Sokka," Katara said, annoyed. "I am a legal buff. In Italy, there is no age at which you cannot be married. People typically marry at twelve over there. Then, if we are refused marriage in France, we would be already married in Italy! We'd just move back, get the license, and move to somewhere. Start a new monarchy. Huzzah."

"Woah. How'd you think of that so fast?" Sokka asked incredulously. "I'm supposed to be the idea guy!"

"Boo hoo. Because women can't think," she replied sarcastically.

"Let's just get some sleep, guys. We need to feign that we're on a tour, remember?" Aang said.

"I was just saying that in the letter!"

"No," Sokka said, cackling. "Since you sent that to father, he's going to send royal guards to make sure that we go on that tour! We are required to see every single country in Europe! Who's the legal buff now?"

"Damn. Didn't see that one coming... Oh well. We'll see great scenery, then!" Katara said exasperatedly.

"To bed," Aang said, shoving Katara so she fell backwards onto the bed.

"Hey!" Katara said, surprised. She was soon followed by the boys.

"We're all sleeping here tonight," Sokka said. "We'll leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Done! It seemed so short, though! Sorry! :( Didja like it? If you did: REVIEW! If you didn't: REVIEW! If udk: REVIEW!

~Momo


	9. Bending Water

Greetings, Readers! I got bored, and decided to do an update because I am probably not going to see much of my fic for the next couple of days... or weeks... For those reading Ice Sculptor... sorry... I _might _discontinue that one... or just end it somehow... sorry! I'm gonna post a poll on my profile to see if anyone wants it continued.

Anyway...

**A/N:** Bear with me while this chapter is waiting to be edited, please! It takes a while... *sigh*

Disclaimer: I, sadly, don't own Avatar.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Morning. The sky was blue, clear, and cloudless.

_Perfect._

Princess Katara opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the brightness around her. She gasped as soon as she came to her senses about their position.

Sokka was snoring on the floor, and from the sound of it, he was contented. He managed to drag the main rag of a blanket off the bed, and he was wrapped in something equivalent to a cocoon. His hair was a disheveled mess, and he was- to Katara's disgust- drooling.

Then she noticed that she was wrapped in a tight embrace. She blushed at the thought of Aang behind her. She turned her head slowly, and deep blue met stormy grey.

"'Morning, Sleeping Beauty. I thought you'd never wake up," Aang said, smiling his dazzling grin.

Katara's breathing hitched. She'd never seen his smile up close. It was sparkling and glowing, as if he was the happiest boy on earth. And... there was something else. Something Katara couldn't make out. She resolved that she would, but for now... Katara really wanted to talk to him, but she was worried that Sokka would wake up while they were discussing something... _important._

"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Bright-and-Early. You know... I was wondering if we... could... take a walk before our little tour. What do you think?" Katara asked.

"That sounds like a nice idea," Aang said happily. He sat up and pulled Katara up with him. As soon as they were standing, Katara grasped his arm and pulled it around her shoulder. Then they tiptoed out of the room, leaving a grossly snorting Sokka to sleep.

Soon they were out of the castle, strolling across the beautiful courtyard, which was decorated with blooming lilies and chrysanthamums. They walked along the small dirt path, the little clumps of gravel crunching beneath their feet.

Katara sighed, then smiled. She had never felt so joyful- or happy, for that matter. It was like she was whole.

Aang had filled her void, her "missing piece." She felt like she had known him forever, although their relationship was two days strong.

They were sitting at the bank of the pond again, laying back on the soft, mossy ground. The turtleducks were circling the melting ice statue of the elephant trount, which was now melted beyond recognition.

"Darn it!" Katara exclaimed when she caught sight of the melting work of art. "I'm going to have to fix that..."

"Can you teach me?" Aang asked.

"Teach you what?" Katara replied, her gaze fixed on the statue.

"How to freeze water! I want to learn... you know... because I'm sort of... the Avatar..."

"Oh! Yeah! Of course. C'mon!" She grabbed his hand and led them to the center of the pond.

They both stood facing the icy blob, staring at its melting physique.

"Okay," Katara started. "Freezing water. It is slightly harder, but it is possible for you to learn how to do so. First, you lift a strand of water out of the pond," she said, pulling up her fingertips from her side. The water followed. Aang copied the movement.

Katara glanced at Aang, and quirked a quizzical brow.

"So I've had some experience with bending. That probably makes me a hardened criminal." Aang said sarcastically.

"Far from it!" Katara laughed. "Next, you tighten your fingers. Make sure that they are as constricted as possible, because the step that follows requires that the water is as tight as possible."

Both her hands bent, and Aang shivered in anticipation. He was _sure _this had to be his favorite step...

"And then, when the water is as dense as possible, lean your head in and blow. Make sure that your tongue is grazing your top teeth, though. The placement of your tongue -though I can't explain it- is vital to the water freezing."

She slowly closed her eyes, bent her head, and leaned in to blow on the water. But when she was sure that it was the water in front of her, her lips caught someone else's. Now who could that someone else be?

Taken utterly by surprise, her eyes flew open. She soon relaxed into the kiss, and then instinctively kissed back. Soon they were standing upright, locked in a tight embrace, bending ice totally forgotten.

Katara snaked her arms up his body, finally resting them on Aang's shoulders. Her hands cradled his head, fingers weaving into his messy, black hair. His arms, on the other hand, where wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her closer.

They were brought back to earth, literally, when Katara got too excited. She pulled back for and instant to catch her breath, and then crashed her lips onto his so forcefully that Aang lost his balance. He also, conviniently, forgot he was an airbender. Or even the Avatar, for that matter. He couldn't remember his name for a few moments. But, to get to the point, Aang was so surprised by Katara's sudden attack on his lips that he, while holding her to himself, brought the both of them crashing into the water.

Aang and Katara returned to the shore of the pond a few minutes later, totally drenched and laughing hysterically. After they had gotten over the initial embarssment of what had just happened, they ended up in full-water fight mode.

"No fair!" Aang whined when Katara turned a water whip straight to his behind. "You're a waterbending master!" Katara's mouth, which was turned into a smirk, quickly reverted into an "o" of horror when a huge wave lifted out of the water and crashed down onto her.

"You're the Avatar! Now _that's _not fair," Katara shouted back, now completely drenched.

And so the fight ensued. After a good fifteen minutes, the pair were soaked to the bone and laughing like hysterical hyenas.

When they returned to the shore, Aang used his airbending to dry himself. Due to Katara's ferocity, he had lost his shirt in the early minutes of their "duel." Katara had lost about two feet from the bottom of her dress, as well as the sleeves, which she had ripped off herself.

"They just get in the way," she had remarked, ripped them off. Leaving her sleeveless. Aang turned red and gulped, but quickly regained his senses when he got sucked under the water by Katara.

Again, Katara was struck with how... defined... a sixteen year old boy could be. It was if he was older... and younger... at the same time.

At the same time, Aang was hit with how beautiful Katara was. It was if she were an etheral goddess... but here. With him. Laughing. Spending time with _him. Aang._

Katara was snapped out of her reverie first, and proceeded to pull Aang out of his.

"Aang? We'd better get back. The officials are probably here now."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah."

He took hold of her hand as they walked back to the castle. Katara blushed, but then smiled. She could get used to this.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They hopped into the caravan after Katara and Aang changed their clothes (though Aang made sure Katara knew he preferred her in a sleeveless dress, Aunt Wu would hear nothing of it and quickly handed her a longsleeved one) and Sokka was properly awake. There were two officials that were sent, both dressed in elegant blue robes. Masks hid their faces, and they held long, menacing spears. They wore intricate necklaces bearing the Water Nation emblem, as well as the French flag. They certainly looked official, Sokka had commented.

They were soon off into the woods, bouncing up and down although the horses were steady. When the sun had set, they set up camp in the middle of a clearing. They had a long way to get to Spain, for that was their first stop. They were to travel through the woods for a good long time, and then they would get onto the main road.

The two guards retired to their own tent. They had tied the horses to a nearby fallen tree, and the tents were positioned at the very crest of a small hill. Only two tents were available since the guards had taken the other one, so the boys decided they would sleep in the same tent.

"You know, I probably shouldn't be left alone," Katara called to the two retreating backs of the teenage boys. "Someone could sneak up and kidnap me."

"I should really stay with her. She's right, you know," Aang said quickly to Sokka. Sokka nodded.

"Just don't... pull anything funny," Sokka said, giving Aang a threatening look.

"I would never hurt her!" Aang exclaimed, crossing his heart with his finger.

"I know _that_," Sokka said, retreating to his tent before Aang could process what he exactly meant.

Shaking his head, Aang turned and walked back to Katara, smiling.

The smile was not returned.

"I need you to do something for me, Aang," Katara said slowly. His eyes widened. "NO! Not like _that_! What's up with boys and their wicked minds? Here's what my plan is," she said, finishing by whispering her plan into his ear.

His eyes widened even more, but he nodded. "Sure. That sounds like a good idea."

"Great," Katara said, smiling. Then they both sauntered into her tent.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

WHOO HOO! Now, since I finally got that out, I can rest. :) Review review review! More fluff? Less fluff? You decide!

**YET ANOTHER A/N: ** Okay, so I got tired of putting the notice that I'm redoing all these chapters -.-;; My original plan was to do ALL the re-writes and _then _replace all the chapters I was going to rewrite, but I was busy freaking out [I'd updated chapters 1 & 2, changed Ash to Appa and everything] GAH. So basically I'm going to bust my butt and hurry up and get it all done so you guys can stop putting up with my confusing stupidity lol :'O It takes a while though [anywhere from 30-90 minutes per chapter /dies] but I can't stand all my old writing [perfectionist when it comes to writing :X]. Sorry to all of you who are reading this fic for the first time and are like, "WTF THIS PERSON IS INSANE AND THIS STORY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AHHHHH *explosion*" I'M REALLY SORRY. IT WILL GET BETTER. I PROMISE. XD [[i talk too much bleh ^]]

~Momo :D


	10. Plans

YAYS! I got time to update! Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I am SO HAPPY! So I decided to update.

Disclaimer: I ran out of witty things to say. *snoreIDON'TOWNAVATARsnore*.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was midnight.

The moon was shining, the stars glittering in the dark sky, the trees swaying from the light breeze from the north. The grass danced on the ground, the flowers swished back and forth, and... two figures made their way to the pond nearby.

Reaching the pond, the shorter of the two took the initiative and stepped in, removing all outer clothing, only leaving the still-modest white undergarments.

The taller one stripped down similarly to the shorter, and rolled up the clothes and set them by a tree.

"Now, to get to business," the taller said quickly.

"Yes, of course. Business," the shorter agreed with a snicker. The taller of the two lifted his hand and pulled a strand of water out of the pond. Rolling it up into a waterball, he passed it to the shorter of the two.

The two waterbended silently for quite a while, the moon setting slightly. The trees rustled again as the breeze floated into the area.

The shorter's head turned for just an instant, just barely long enough to see the two darkly dressed people spring from the trees and capture them. Just barely long enough to utter a soft scream.

"Wha-what do you want?" The taller said as one of the people brought them down to their knees.

"You, out of the way," the man said. "You'll be staying here for a while. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but... this is nessecary." With that, a nimbler one bound their hands and feet. They set the two down under a tree.

The sun was now peeking out from over the mountain. Peeking on the two, abandoned and alone.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I feel so bad about doing that to them!" Aang said. "I can't believe I had to bind their hands and feet! Why did _you _get to tell them that they wouldn't be needed? I mean, your voice _cracks!_"

"Because I have a deeper, manlier voice! And my voice DOES NOT crack!" Sokka cried indignantly, his voice cracking twice.

"Of course it doesn't, Sokka," Aang said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut up. Let's just get these uniforms on."

"See! I can make plans that work, too!" Katara said happily as Sokka and Aang stepped out of the tent, fully dressed in the uniforms of the officers. She was dressed in a long, tight-fitting dress that sloped out over her feet. She had her hair up in a bun, which was wrapped in intricate jems and threads. She was wearing a beautiful choker which displayed a beautiful orb; it looked like a large opal, but it was blue.

"Wow... you look beautiful," Aang said, blushing hotly. Katara opened her mouth to respond, but Sokka cut her off.

"C'mon, guys. We really have to make it to Spain as fast as we can; if father finds out that we took out the guards, then we are probably not going to be greeted with smiling faces when we get home."

"I doubt I'm going to get a smile at all, Sokka; I ran away, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Right. I forgot."

They loaded up the cart with the tents, and Sokka went up front to drive the white stallions. Aang sat in the back with Katara, making light conversation. They were still trying to find out more about each other. Soon, they got bored because they had asked every question they could think of, so they settled for kissing. The only problem was that every once in a while they were interrupted by an annoyed and utterly disgusted Sokka.

"AHH! MY EYES! THEY BUUUURRRRRNNNNNN!"

"Jeez. Could you get any more mushy?"

"Ew. Why do you guys have to be so lovey-dovey?"

"Gross. *HACKHACK*."

"Could you two stop? I mean, I never have liked anybody! It's gross to the passerby, and- Oh my," he said, wide open eyes closing halfway as he caught sight of a group of young group of teenage girls. Taking that as their que, Aang and Katara sat up quickly and fixed their clothing and hair.

Sokka pulled the cart to a stop to check out the girls. Katara rolled her eyes as he ripped off his uniform and walked, in his knight uniform, up to them.

"Did Sokka really mean that he's never liked anyone?" Aang asked her.

"No. He was just saying that. He's liked sooooooo many girls, I don't think I would be able to count them. There was one at the Jerky Store, another at the well, then another when we took a tour of Nice`, then another when we went to visit the Yamaguchis... it's impossible. Some of them liked him back, while others thought he was creepy," Katara said with a giggle. Aang stared at the group of girls.

"He _can _be pretty creepy," Aang agreed, watching a suave Sokka approach them. Both of them laughed as Sokka started to talk to them.

"Bonjour, mesdames!" Sokka said, smoothing back his hair.

"Hello," the leader scoffed back. "Who are you?"

"Why, I am Sokka of the Water Nation," he replied. "Who, may I ask, are you?"

"Don't tell him your name!" one of the girls whispered to the leader.

_"Prince _Sokka of the Water Nation, I might add," Sokka said disinterestedly, regarding one set of his nails and shining them on his jacket. The girls' snobby smirks turned to pleading fangirl simpers.

"_Prince _Sokka?"

"You're _the _Prince Sokka?"

"Wow!"

"C'mon, girls. I mean, he's just a _prince._ Why do you have to go all goo-goo when someone of royalty passes by," the leader said. "I mean, it's not like he can _beat us_."

"Whaddaya mean?" Sokka asked indignantly. "Of course I can beat just a bunch of girls in pretty frilly dresses!"

The leader's eyes narrowed. She motioned for the group to step back. They retreated as the girl in front spoke two menacing words:

"You're _on_."

-00-0-00-

Aang and Katara sat on a rock by the dirt road while Sokka took his stance against the girl that he had randomly met. She flicked her wrists at her sides and drew two short sticks, about the size of one's forearm. She whipped the two glittering lengths of wood and they unfolded into two golden metal fans.

"Before I beat you, may I ask your name?" Sokka requested.

"Anne-Suki. But I never go by _that _horrid name; I only go by Suki. But, I guess that won't matter; I will defeat you anyway, and there will be no need for you to call me anything," she spat.

Sokka rolled his eyes while one of Suki's group members called, "Go!"

Suki stood still and Sokka swung at her. She gracefully brought the fans together and caught his hand. Sokka's eyes widened in surprise as she lifted her leg to kick him in the stomach. In one fluid motion, she twisted her leg to the side, crouched down, and took his feet out from under him in a sweep-kick.

Everyone clapped as Suki pumped her fist into the air.

Sokka pretended to cry.

"But I never lose a fight!" Sokka wailed as Aang and Katara dragged him back to the cart. "I wanna rematch! I WANNA REMATCH!" He landed in the cart with a THUNK.

As Aang was getting ready to climb into the front, Suki skipped up to the side of the wagon.

"I never got to ask your names!" Suki exclaimed. "Who are you two?"

"Oh!" Katara said, surprised by her sudden politeness. "I'm Princess Katara."

"I sure hope you're not as idiotic as your brother," Suki said, laughing.

"Absolutely not," Katara said, giggling along. "You're a pretty good fighter!"

"Yeah," Suki said. "My friends and I ran away from our home in northern Spain and came up here to central France. Ever since then, we've been practicing our fighting skills. We have our own little town not too far away from here; we named it after our hometown in Spain."

"That's cool!" Aang said, hopping down from the wagon. "What's it called?"

"Kyoshi, after our founding Avatar. Avatar Kyoshi founded our small island not too far off the Spanish coast, and we ran away to make a new Kyoshian colony in the Water Nation. The problem is, we are in a pretty rural area surrounded by water, so no one really comes there. For now, we are searching for a beautiful white horse we saw not too long ago."

"A white horse? Katara exclaimed, leaping out of the cart as well. "Was it a big white horse? With a long mane?"

"Yes," Suki said, nodding. "And it didn't whinny at all!"

"OH MY GOSH! That's my horse! Suki! We have to follow that horse!"

"What's a gosh?" came a muffled voice from inside the cart.

-00-0-00-

After a couple of days searching for Ash, the band of teenagers deemed it hopeless. Katara isolated herself in a grove of pines; the thick leaves shielded her from the bright rays of the sun, an unnecessary object in her life right now. For now, she was concentrating on being depressed because now the faint, quivering hope that her life-long friend was gone.

Aang wasn't having any of that. He made his way up to the beauty wallowing in her despair.

"Katara," he said, sitting down next to her. "Talk to me. Why are you so sad?"

In a flash, Katara buried her face in his chest.

"My horse, Ash," Katara croaked, "was the first and only horse I've ever had. I sat with him for a while when my mother died, pondering on and on about how fragile life is. He was one of the only other living beings I was allowed to have contact with, because I was never allowed to leave the palace. I ran away from home with him. And then I lost him. I will never forgive myself."

"Katara, you have to realize that Ash isn't gone; he's somewhere around southern France. You lost him in the north, Suki saw him here in central France, so he's probably somewhere in Nice` right now. Don't worry," he said, stroking her hair with his fingers. "We will find him. I can almost ensure it."

Slowly, Katara lifted her head and stared into his eyes.

"Thank you, Aang."

Both of them smiled, and then went back to join Sokka and Suki.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

YAYS! I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! I finally got this chapter out, and I hope to be writing more often!

~Avatar Momo


	11. Spain!

Hi again! I found some time to type, so I did! Anyways, this chapter won't be as long as the last, since I don't have _that _much time... Oh well. This is kinda filler, but not quite. I PROMISE the next chapter will be longer!

OH MY GOSH I HAVE 40 REVIEWS! I LOVE ALL WHO REVIEW! THANK YOU EVERYBODY!

Disclaimer: Me no own Avatar.

-00-00-00-

"SPAIN HO!" A fit and lanky teenager stood up upon his vessel, twirling the worn spyglass in his hands. After a long trip on the wild sea, the pirates finally spot their destination! The most handsome of the hot, the stealer of hearts, the cunning Pirate Sokka jumps down and stores his spyglass next to his pistol and sword.

But, what is this? An evil soul from the deep, another handsome being as well, he is known as The Aang!

Looking quickly to his right, and then his left, Pirate Sokka jumps up and-

"Shut up, Sokka. You look like an idiot, standing on top of the cart like that," Katara complained. She pushed both boys back tumbling into the cart. Then she turned around regained control of the reins.

The rolled through the passing gates into Spain, the Earth Kingdom.

Katara snapped the reins and the horse whinnied. They trotted through the central market and stopped at a nearby corner; Sokka went off to go look for food, and Aang escorted Katara to look for the person in charge of the nearby manor.

"We'll meet back here when the sun is behind that mountain," Sokka said, pointing off into the distance. Aang and Katara nodded, and when they both parted the first couple minutes, Katara asked around the shops to where they could find the nearby Beifong manor. No one knew, actually.

Moments turned into minutes, which turned into hours. Katara and Aang were exhausted and didn't know which way to turn.

"Crap," Aang said as the last shopkeeper in the district shrugged and admitted that he was clueless. "No one's left."

And, as fate would have it, Katara glanced and looked up at the distant mountain. The sun was behind it. Shaking her head, she grabbed Aang's hand and they walked silently back to the cart.

Sokka was there, sitting on the larger horse, chowing down on a particularly large piece of mutton.

"Whaphsh up, guyfsh?" he asked, everyone within a radius of five feet getting sprayed with small meteors of mutton gobs. Aang used his airbending to protect himself and Katara; some other random passer-bys were not so lucky.

"I see you found the mutton cart," Katara observed disgustedly, wiping off one of the horses.

"Wha makesh you fink dat?" Sokka asked, spraying everyone once again. Katara rolled her eyes.

Sokka wiped his mouth and swallowed.

"So, did you get to the manor?"

"Nope, but we met every single merchant in town," Aang replied.

"Well, that's just great," Sokka groaned. "How come life is never easy! WHERE IS A MAP TO THE BEIFONG ESTATE WHEN YOU NEED ONE?"

"Maps to the Beifong estate!" a salesman proclaimed. "Maps to the Beifong estate at half price!"

The trio glanced at each other and grinned.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Ouch! Quit leaning into me!"

"Stop poking me!"

"OUCHIES!"

"What kind of '_manly pirate, the stealer of hearts, the hottest of the handsome' _or whatever, says ouchies?"

"BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP! CAN'T YOU SEE WE'RE HIDING!"

"Oops."

"Sorry, your _majesty."_

**PUNCH**

"OUCHIES!"

Aang and Katara peered stealthily above a carefully trimmed hedge, while Sokka stood up, rubbing his shoulder.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, Katara? Punching your _brother? _Just who do you think you are?"

"I think I'm Princess Katara, thank you very much."

"And who am I?"

"You're Prince Sokka."

"And what are we?"

"You're caught, is what you are," a buff and burly man said, tying their hands behind their backs.

"Crap," Sokka spat.

"We're crap?" Katara shouted indignantly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I JUST HAD TO PUT THAT IN. Sorry again that it was so short!

~Momo


	12. Toph

Hi everybody! I finally found some time to type! :) No one's requesting anything, so I'll just keep on going according to plot.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Here are the intruders, master," a large man belted out, shoving the trio to their knees. He bowed and exited the room.

A particularly skinny and mustached man observed the three with a wary eye.

"And who, may I ask, are you three?" he asked, his voice deeper than his body suggested it would be.

Keeping his head down, Aang said, "I am the sworn Prince of Switzerland, Prince Aang. This is Princess Katara, and this is her brother, Prince Sokka."

"_The _Prince Sokka," Sokka corrected. Katara smacked her brother.

"We are dearly sorry for intruding on your property, Mr. Beifong. We were just here to inquire about Prince Toph," Katara said, bowing even lower to the floor.

"Prince Toph? My good girl, please stand! Where did you hear about Toph being a prince?" Mr. Beifong asked, laughing loudly. Katara stood and pulled Aang up with her.

"I am inquiring all over Europe for princes, and I got a list from a merchant in Belgium. He put down 'Prince Toph'," she said.

"My dear girl, you are greatly mistaken!" Mr. Beifong said. "Toph is a _princess_, and she ran away months ago. She is probably well out of Spain by now! I'm sorry," he added. "I wish you good luck on your journeys."

"Thank you," Sokka said, bowing and exiting with the other two.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Well, that stinks," Sokka said to no one in particular as they bounced down the road in the rickety cart.

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "I didn't even get to eat lunch."

"NO! Not about that, dimwit. About Toph not being there!"

It was about midnight. The sky was pitch-black and moonless. The cart bumped along the road merrily, and Katara and Aang chatted quietly in the back.

"You're the sworn Prince of Switzerland?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Umm... It's just... you never told me."

"Oh. Yeah," Aang said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Sorry about that."

Suddenly the cart came to a halt.

"Sokka? What the heck are you doing?"

"Nothing! The cart just randomly stopped! So did the horses!"

A dark figure emerged from the shadows.

"Give me all your money."

"Who are you?" Sokka shouted at the smaller figure.

"I am the Blind Bandit," the figure said. A large bar of earth shot out of nowhere, pinning Sokka to the ground. An identical one flew at Aang, who dodged it. Barely.

Katara turned around just in time to see the soil that would knock her out for hours. It flew up to slam into her jaw, and she fell, almost lifelessly, of the cart. She hit the ground with a heavy THUD.

Furious, Aang's eyes flashed and he turned back to the small girl in the shadows. "You. Are. DEAD."

"You are the one that is going to be dead," the girl sassed back. Aang took a stance. The Blind Bandit took a stance.

"Just take our money!" Sokka shouted. Aang's head snapped down to Sokka.

"What? She just knocked out your sister! Are you not going to do anything about it?"

"JUST LET HER TAKE OUR MONEY! We spent most of it looking for Princess Toph, anyway."

"Princess Toph?" the Blind Bandit asked.

"Yeah! My sister was looking for royalty in Spain. She wanted to meet Princess Toph."

"That's impossible," the Blind Bandit said. "No one even knows that Princess Toph exists."

"What?"

"I'm Princess Toph," the Blind Bandit said, taking off her hood. "I ran away months ago because I was annoyed with my father. He thinks that because I'm blind, I'm so helpless that I can't do anything."

"You're blind?" Sokka asked, utterly surprised.

"Yeah," Toph said, lowering her head. "I'm fine, though. I see with earthbending, and that's all there is to it. I see with my feet. No questions, no comments, no nothing." She spat onto the ground. "I'm sick of Spain. I wanna see the world. I'm not gonna, though. The guards at the border won't let me out."

Aang, becoming bored of the conversation, walked back over to Katara to see if she would come to.

"The guards won't let you out of the country?" Sokka asked, not noticing at all.

"Yup," Toph said. "They think that I might be a threat to Portugal, Italy, or France, so they contain me here and try to catch me. Being an earthbender, though, it's harder to catch me than it seems."

Sokka thought for a moment, and then his face lit up. "You could travel with us!"

Her face lit up, too. "Really? I can see the world with you guys?"

"Well, you can't really 'see' the world..."

She punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up, Snoozles."

"SNOOZLES? WHERE'D THAT COME FROM?"

"That's your new name, even though I don't know your old one. Snoozles. That's Twinkletoes," she said, jerking a thumb over to Aang's crouched form. "And she'll get a name eventually."

Sokka sighed and shook his head. He really didn't know what he was getting himself into.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: AAAAAACK! SO SHORT! I'm sorry! Oh well! They met Toph. Heh. Lol.

~Momo


	13. Katara's Weakness

HI everybody! It's been a while, and I really apologize to all my readers that were waiting soooooo long. With school getting out, sports, writing, painting, a cousin making state championships, and all the like, I was VERY busy. I finally got back to the storyline, and here's the next chapter!

This chapter is kind of filler, but it has a little bit of character development. It hath fluffiness, too, so don't totally skip it. I needed this to get back on track, so please don't flame me for it! Thank you!

Disclaimer: You know the drill...

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Why am I Snoozles?" Sokka whined to the newest member of their band of royals. "I don't waaaaaaaant to be Snooooozles!"

**SLAP**

"Oww!" Sokka yelped, rubbing his cheek.

"You're Snoozles because when I attacked, your heartbeat and adrenaline levels were below average, meaning you were _unsurprised _and/or _bored_. By determining your blood sugar levels and the such, I can assume that you sleep a lot, there for giving you the 'snooze' part of the nickname 'snoozles'," Toph said snootily.

"She's good," Aang commented, smiling at Toph's very accurate analysis.

"How's Katara doing?" Sokka called back to Aang, who was sitting in the back of the cart.

"Still knocked out..." Aang grumbled. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, hoping she would wake soon. He sighed and looked up to the moon. Closing his eyes slowly, Aang drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

"Ugh... where am I?" Katara groaned, lurching herself upward to sit in an upright postition. Looking around lethargically with heavy sleep weighting her eyes, she blinked and saw Sokka sitting with the girl that knocked her out.

"What are you doing sitting with my brother?" Katara shouted, whipping out a lethally flashing ribbon of water. She somursaulted up to the front and headlocked the fragile Spanish Princess. Swirling her fingers into the air, bringing them back to her chest, and then menacingly near Toph's neck, the water following quickly with deadly accuracy.

"WHAT. THE. HELL. ARE. YOU. DOING?" Toph grunted in between struggles beneath Katara's iron grip.

"Katara! Katara! It's okay! She's on our side!' Sokka said, waving his arms around crazily.

Katara turned her head to face Sokka.

"ON OUR SIDE? SHE FREAKING KNOCKED ME OUT!" Katara shouted, livid.

She froze as she felt two warm, fluid but strong arms envelope her neck. Her face went hot as she felt two smooth lips press against her cheek, and slid down the side of her jaw to her neck.

"Calm down, please," Aang said, his voice resonating in her neck. "Toph _did _have not-so-great intentions, but Sokka got her to come with us, and she could be of some use to our group."

"But-..." She was silenced by Aang slowly lifting his head up and placing his lips over hers.

"Katara, she's Princess Toph and she could tell us which princes are available and who's not," Sokka explained after Aang returned to the back of the cart.

"Yes, I'm Princess Toph, and I'd kindly appreciate it if you can get your FREAKING HANDS OFFA ME!" Toph shouted at the top of her lungs, ripping Katara's headlocking arms off of her neck.

-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

They camped just outside of the border of Spain.

"Uhh, Toph? There's something I would like you to know..." Sokka started uncertainly.

"What?"

"Um... there's only two tents, and Aang sleeps next to Katara for safety purposes. Since you're a princess as well..."

"Sorry, Snoozles, but I make my own tents," Toph said flatly.

"Huh?"

Toph slammed her foot into the ground, and two flat rectangles of earth rose and connected at the top.

"'Night, everyone!" Toph said, turning and crawling into the makeshift tent. She pounded her fist into the ground, and finally two trianglular pieces rose to complete the triangular prism of earth.

Sokka ogled after her in disbelief, but then stumbled back to his tent. Aang and Katara laughed silently after him. Closing the tent slowly and falling onto the blanket tiredly, Katara fell quickly into dreamless sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-

The sun rose, shedding colorful light into its surroundings. The lush, green trees were decorated with flecks of orange and yellow, the birds flying lesiurely through the skies. The grass beneath rustled as a small breeze swirled through, shaking the settling dew on the tender green blades.

"GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!"

The shout ripped through the encampment like lightning.

From shock, Sokka tumbled out of his tent. Katara sat up so quickly that she hit her head on the top of the tent, only to fall back onto Aang's chest.

"You okay?" Aang said quickly, his eyes wide open.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Katara smiled, and then narrowed her eyes. "I know someone that _isn't going to be so fine in a second_..." she said, trailing off venomously. She rolled off Aang and slid out of the tent, storming up to the unusually jubilant Spanish Princess.

"Yo, Sugar Queen!" Toph said excitedly.

"Don't wake us up that early in the morning," Katara said angrily, narrowing her eyes even more. "That was not pleasant."

"I'm sorry, Queen of the Sugarpuffs, but I don't listen to stuck-up snooty-butts like you," Toph said, taking a ferocious bite out of an apple. "And furthermore, I follow my own rules. If I wanna shout at flipping five in the morning, hell, I will shout at flipping five in the morning," she finished, bits of her apple flying out into Katara's face.

You could literally see Katara's temple vein throbbing with frustration. Her fingers clenched into fists, ready to strike.

And then she felt those annoying- but-oh-so-nice hands on her shoulder.

"Cue the loverboy that will stop you from hitting me," Toph said, snapping her fingers, cocking her head to the side, and smirking.

Right before Katara melted into Aang's arms, she pointed a wary finger at Toph and said threateningly, "I won't forget this."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

So, what did you all think?

(Hearts for all!)

~Avatar Momo


	14. Now To Germany!

I have arisen from the dead! Okay, so maybe I wasn't dead, but my life just got a WHOLE lot more busy. So anyways, I had to rewrite the whole outline of the story because I figured most of you wouldn't like the story to end in this chapter. So I added a bunch of more fluff and stuff and chapters! I apologize for such a long wait, but hey, I'm human too, you know. :)

(mabye im not... O.o im momo, you know...) (COUGHPEACHCOUGH) heheh... it is not good when you are hyper, it is in the middle of the night, and you are typing a story. HAHAHAHA- /slap/

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, which I don't, Aang and Katara would have gotten together in the first episode.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I think we should go here... no there... maybe we shouldn't... actually... that isn't such a bad idea... no... wait..."

"SOKKA JUST FREAKING SHUT UP!"

The shout echoed throughout the camp, and Toph stormed out of the tent and stomped on the ground angrily. Sokka shot out of the tent like a circus man out of a cannon. He soared through the air, wishing that he _was _in the circus; the men in the circus got to land in a net. Not on the cold, hard, unforgiving ground.

"Can't even get a sliver of freakin' sleep with that baboon-faced idiot-pig," Toph complained. Throwing her hands up in the air exasperatedly, she "accidentally" launched a few rocks up into the air to meet Sokka's face.

A few seconds later, Sokka landed with a loud THUD. Katara rushed to her brother's side.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, whipping out her water to heal anything if neccessary. She placed her hands on Sokka's head, healing any concussions or possible head injuries. Sokka brushed her hand off and nodded.

"I'm fine," Sokka said, smiling appreciatively. "It's worth it. She's sexy-hot when she's angry," he said simply. Katara recoiled in shock, and stood up.

Shaking her head, Katara said, "You're absolutely crazy. So, what did you do this time, Professor Genius?"

"I was thinking aloud and trying to decide our itinerary throughout Europe," Sokka said, standing up. "It just seems these days that you get mauled for thinking aloud."

Katara laughed lightly, and then shook her head. "What's our itinerary then?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could skip Switzerland because we already know that Aang is the prince, and then we could go to England, and then Germany. Even though Zuko is the major prince over there, there are a few minor princes that we could meet," Sokka said, looking over his trusty map once again.

"That is a good point you make that Aang is the prince of Switzerland. How about instead of going all the way back to England, we just head straight to Germany and then Italy?" Katara suggested.

"Sure," Sokka agreed. "I guess we could just skip to the Germany and then finish up at Italy."

"Then let's get going!" Katara exclaimed, raising a determined fist into the air. Then she was enveloped by those oh-so-nice arms.

"Going where?" After not hearing his voice since this morning, Aang's tone sounded like soft velvet to Katara's ears. Entranced, Katara turned her head to capture his lips.

"EW EW EW! DON'T DO THAT IN FRONT OF ME!" Sokka shouted hysterically, waving his arms around like a maniac. "Now I have to go wash out my eyes with soap!"

Katara laughed, Aang smiled, and then the two released each other.

Sokka had already run off to go find some soap.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They loaded up the carts by late afternoon, and by early evening they were on their merry way to Germany.

"You sure you can handle the steering, Sokka?" Aang asked, cocking his head to the side. "When you stay up to drive, sometimes you fall asleep, you know." Last time that had happened, Aang and Sokka were taking a joy ride on Mrs. Omanito's new horse. Sokka said they were taking a quick trip to France to pick up some fancy food, and said he would drive. Aang fell asleep, and awoke to being handcuffed by authorities. In the early morning he was delivered back to a not-to-pleased Mayana Omanito.

"I'll be up with him, making sure he doesn't fall asleep," Toph said roughly, hopping up to the front of the cart to sit next to him.

"Aw great," Sokka whined, positive that the side next to her would be completely black and blue by morning. "I should have drunk coffee before I went on this..."

Katara smiled along with Aang, and they cuddled up next to each other to go to sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"We're here!" Sokka shouted to the sleeping couple, rubbing the blooming bruises on his right arm. Aang sat bolt upright while Katara still slept.

"Germany?" Aang asked. "Already?"

"No, silly," Sokka replied. "We're right outside the border of Germany. We can't cross the border until sunrise, which should be in a little while."

"What's a little while, Snoozles?" Toph asked suspiciously.

"About 2-3 hours."

"_Crap_," Aang and Toph said at the same time.

"Nn?" Katara mumbled, sitting up slowly. "What time is it?"

Aang turned to cradle her in his arms, and she leaned into him, utterly tired. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she smiled when he replied.

"It's about 3 hours away, Katara," Aang said gently, stroking her hair.

"Why can't you talk like that to me?" Sokka said indignantly. Every whipped around to face him.

"Are you... gay, Sokka?" Aang asked slowly.

Sokka turned bright red and said, "NO! I WAS SAYING THAT TO TOPH!"

-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Three hours passed in utter awkward silence. Toph was blushing slightly, Sokka was as bright as a tomato, and now awoken, Katara sat in the back of the cart, fiddling with her waterbending.

Aang actually fell asleep.

"Okay, everyone! We must now head towards the border!" Sokka said, cutting the silence quickly and eagerly as he saw the sky begin to lighten with a faint orange glow.

"Shouldn't we wait a bit longer until the sun is all the way up, Sokka?" Katara asked.

"It'll take us an hour to get to the border," Sokka replied. Toph replied with yet another punch to his arm.

"Why the hell did you make us wait an hour away from the border?" Toph yelled. "Why couldn't we be a bit closer and wait until the sun is all the way up? I mean, I don't even need the sun to see, but it seems like the three of you do!"

"Ow..." Sokka cried, his voice high and squealy. "That really hurt..." He actually slightly sounded like a girl...

Katara crawled up to the front of the cart and whipped out her water. She rolled up his sleeve and pressed the water to his arm, healing all the bruises on it.

"HA!" Sokka said triumphantly, pointing a finger at Toph's face. "HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I WIN! I forgot Katara had healing powers!"

"Suger Queen!" Toph yelled. "What the hell? Now I have to start all over again!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They arrived at the border right as the sun reached over the mountains in the distance.

"Well, we're here, everyone!" Sokka said happily, smiling to his bored cartmates. "Now we must cross the border. Aang, we must suit up as the royal French guards. Katara and Toph, get all fancy, or however you weird princesses call it."

"Get fancy?" Toph asked Katara when they walked to their separate parts of the forest. "Where the hell did he meet a princess who called 'dressing up' 'getting fancy'?"

"England."

"Ah."

As Katara pulled out her bag, she realized she still had the things that she left home with! Her dagger, her ribbon, and such.

"I forgot all about this!" Katara exclaimed, pulling out her favorite and best dress. It was a shimmering blue dress, slightly rough but overall smooth to the touch. It glittered under the light, rippling like a blue wave.

Pulling it on gently and letting her hair down, she made sure that her small tiara on her head sat up straight to signify royalty.

Toph hated dresses, but Katara said it was necessary; she handed Toph a green dress she had brought along from Mrs. Omanito, and then helped Toph put it on. Clasping a small necklace around the little earthbender's neck, Katara smiled and then returned to the horses with her.

Standing there were two "guards," neatly dressed in the uniform of the French royal guards. (see chapter nine for costume description... XD)

"Let's go!" a muffled voice of Sokka exclaimed from the taller of the two guards, and he assisted Aang but pulling him up to the front seat. Katara and Toph climbed up into the back of the cart, and tried to look like official princesses.

"Let's just hope this works..." Aang said, still worried.

"We'll be fine," Sokka assured him. "I hope..."

"Halt! Who goes there?" one of the guards at the border shouted. Princess Katara slid out of the back of the cart and walked up to the man. One hand was behind her back, ready to whip out the water if necessary.

"It is only us, good sentinel," Katara said softly, smiling convincingly. "I, Princess Katara of France, my good friend, who is also a princess, and my two French Royal Guardians. We are here to tour Germany quickly, and then return from which we came."

"Ah, Princess, we have been expecting you!" an older man said, shoving the German guard aside and eyeing her strangely. "Please come... right... this...way..."

-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ooh! Sorry... another cliffy... TO ALL OF MY BELOVED READERS... I SALUTE YOU!

Shout out to:

**Skaties**

**Akhenaten5**

**StardustSComet**

**avatarbear67**

**Mizu falls from Kumo**

**Airhead259**

**samantha994**

And thanks to everyone else who read and reviewed! :)

~Momo


	15. Gone

Dun dun DUN! I'm so happy! Tomorrow's the 1-year anniversary of this story! Thank you everyone who has stayed with this from the beginning! And to everyone who came on along the way... well... here's the next chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I have owned this story for a year, the characters are queer, but I fear, a lawye-er, may come sue me-eer. (Avatar isn't mine.)

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The old man smiled deviously at Katara while she took a few steps backward in retreat. But before they could escape, the man reached out to pet the horse.

"What are you doing?" she shouted at the man. He simply glanced at her, smiled, and stroked the horse's mane. The horse, which had been standing lazily because they had been there at the front of the gate for a while, perked up and locked his eyes on the man. The man nodded, and the horse neighed.

Katara looked back at Sokka, who shrugged. Katara sighed loudly.

"Fine. We'll go with you. But before we do, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Uzokon. I am a very important person to Germany, and we have been expecting you," Uzokon repeated. "I have been asked to prepare a place for you to stay while you tour our beautiful country. May I lead you to where you are to stay?"

"We already agreed," Toph piped up from the back of the cart. "Just forget the damn formalities and take us to our inn or whatever."

Uzokon bowed.

"Of course, my lady." He turned to leave, and they followed him in the cart.

Uzokon led them throughout the town, weaving through the large crowds and markets. The streets were busy; barters were haggling with the local pirates, merchants were hollering their low prices to everyone who passed, and children would play with their shiny new kites whenever their moms would let them run free.

Finally they arrived at a small but very exquisite looking house at the end of a narrow alley. Katara helped Toph off the cart, and Aang and Sokka tied up the horses and locked down the cart.

"Would you rather that your guards stayed with you in your house, Princess, or would you rather they stayed next door for your privacy?" Uzokon asked politely.

"I would prefer that they stay with me, for anything could happen at any time," Katara answered quickly.

"Of course," Uzokon smiled, his eyes glinting. "Of course. You never know. Well, since the Our King does not want his best friend's daughter to be spending any money while in his country, he has also asked that meals of your choice be brought to the house instead of you all looking for a restaurant. Does that please you?"

She thought about it for a moment, and Katara replied, "That's fine. As long as they ring the bell three times and await our reply before coming into the house."

"As you wish. Here is the key."

A wrinkled finger slid up and deposited a cold, glistening key into her hand. She looked at it and noticed the intricate designs weaving all around the face of the key. The fingers of fire lapping at the helpless trees of a forest, which were bleeding pure blood into the heartless dirt. When she looked back up, Uzokon was gone.

"I could get used to this kinda place!" Sokka said to no one in particular, throwing off his hood and costume and kicking back on a down pillow. "This place has style!"

"Uh... yeah..." Katara said, laughing slightly. She squealed in surprise when Toph shoved her out of the way.

"WHAT THE-"

"Sorry Sugar Queen! I can't see as well on carpet... I mean, I can see someone when they're moving, but not when they're standing still. The wool of the carpet absorbs any vibrations whatsoever."

Katara still wanted to hit her upside the head, but sighed and retreated to her room. However, when she opened the door, she saw Aang lying on the bed.

"Uh... Aang!"

Aang jolted out of his deep thought and blushed. "Haha- sorry, I was just thinking right there, and I didn't hear you!" he apologized.

"Ah, it's okay. But... isn't this my room?"

"Oh... it is?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Yeah..." Aang looked around himself and noticed that her bag was on the foot of the bed.

"Ah! I'm sorry Katara! I didn't notice that there and I thought that we could just pick any room we wanted and-"

"It's okay, Aang, it's fine!" She glanced out the door to make sure Sokka wasn't there. Then she continued. "It won't matter in a month, right? We'll kind of have to share beds because then we'll be _married_."

Aang's face went from normal to bright tomato, and he gulped loudly while Katara started laughing.

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding, alright?" Katara laughed.

"Yeah... but... you really meant it at the same time, right?" Aang said in a slightly hoarse voice. Katara's eyes widened, and she gasped inwardly.

_What a perv!_ she thought. But she continued talking...

"Do-do... do you want me to mean it that way?"

"No! I mean yeah! I mean- aren't we a little young for that?"

"Er, yeah! Of course we are!"

"Uh..." Aang said nervously, pulling at the neck of his collar, "I have to go check on the horses!"

And he flew out of the room. Katara stared after him, wondering why in the world she said what she did.

"I'm such an IDIOT for being so FORWARD!" she screamed in her head, throwing herself onto the pillow and screaming into it.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

"Come in!"

An official tromped into the house and took off his hat. He knelt in front of Katara and held out a piece of parchment.

"Princess Katara, at your request I have brought a menu for the offered courses for tonight's dinner. Sir Uzokon also would like to know if you will be ordering food for your sentinels," the officer recited.

"Yes, they have made it clear to me that they would also like something to eat as well as myself. We will decide on our selections and come back to you in a few minutes. Is that alright?" Katara asked.

"Of course," the official replied.

Katara turned and took the menu to the back room and called Aang, Sokka, and Toph over.

"Guys! We have to pick the selection of food that we want and tell the officer! Hurry up and pick one!" Katara told them.

"I'll have the caviar and skunk-mole steak," Sokka said.

"Glacier lettuce and thousand-waters sauce for me," Aang said.

"I'll have whatever Snoozles is eating," Toph said lazily. "Aang's choice sounds like cow-rabbit food."

"Okay," Katara said, standing up slowly and returning to the officer.

"We'll have two caviar and skunk-mole steaks, one glacier lettuce and thousand-waters sauce, and one exotic fruit platter with crab-shrimp on the side," Katara told him slowly so he could write it all down.

"Good," the officer said. "I'll bring everything back within an hour.

And with that he went out the door, promptly pulling it shut.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

.oO-After dinner-Oo.

"That were delicious!" Sokka groaned. "I 'aint ate anything all good like that, let me tell you!"

"Please don't make me point out everything grammatically wrong with that sentence," Katara said, rubbing her temples with her index fingers. The crab-shrimp was delectable, but the exotic fruit platter tasted like the fruit had been soaked in sugar for days. She was now getting a headache.

"The lettuce was good, but the dressing was too thin," Aang complained. "True thousand-water sauce is perfectly balanced; it tastes like your tongue is running through the water of the ocean while you are tasting the fine fruits of the dressing. This one tasted to thin and it had some strange flavor to it."

"That's strange," Toph said. "You make eating grass sound too complicated."

Aang rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm feeling really tired all of a sudden, so I think I'll just go to bed..." Aang collapsed onto the floor.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Everyone jumped to their feet in shock.

"Aang! Aang! Are you alright?" Sokka said, shaking Aang by the shoulders.

"Of course he's not, Snoozles! He just freaking passed out on the floor!" Toph yelled at him.

"What do we do?" Sokka shouted right back at her.

"Ugh..." Katara rubbed her temples one more time, and her world went black. She collapsed right next to Aang.

"Our food! It must...have been... drugged..." And Sokka and Toph fought to stay awake, but then they too fell onto the floor.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"AAH!" Katara sat bolt upright. "Was it a dream! It had to be a dream! Please let it have been a dream!" Shaking her head to clear her head, and immediately regretting it for all the pain that it brought, she opened her eyes.

She looked around herself. Sunlight was streaming in through the window, bird were chirping outside, and the steady flow of chatter outside from the market diffused through the peace of the morning. The headache of before still pounded in her ears, consricting her sinuses and she winced.

Katara rolled onto her stomach to push herself off the floor. She tottered to the kitchen to get a glass of water to soothe her throbbing headache, but when she returned to her spot where they all collapsed, the cup slid out of her fingers and shattered onto the floor.

Aang was gone.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

OMG I ACTUALLY FINISHED THE CHAPTER! Sorry... most of you probably want to shoot me for ending it that way... haha... /flees!

R'n'R!

!MOMO!


	16. Frozen Hearts

So I got a trickle of reviews but I had this awesome idea for the storyline, so I decided to go ahead and update! The beginning part focuses on Aang's situation, so you won't have to deal with Katara's shock and surprise and etc. Yay. XD

DISCLAIMER: I'm tired of typing this, so refer to former chapters.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Write it. NOW!"

The spit from his mouth flew onto Aang's face like droplets of rain. Aang shook his head in a firm no. He had been drugged, kidnapped, and now he was only wearing his pants, for they had ripped his shirt off to bind him. He couldn't move his arms or his legs, and now all he could do is talk his way out of this.

"I will not write it," Aang said, his eyes glinting with anger. "I will never write such idiocy down onto paper."

The man held his hand up, signaling to the guard behind Aang. The guard pressed the tip of his sword into Aang's bare back.

"Write. It." The man sounded venemous. Aang looked directly into the man's eyes.

"No."

The man raised his hand once more. The guard lifted his sword off of Aang's back.

Instead, he turned the sword to the blade side and ran the edge across Aang's back, drawing a long line. Blood rushed to the surface, dripping down from the thin line. Aang winced and arched his back away, stifling a scream.

"Write it!" the man shouted once more, baring his teeth at Aang.

"NO! I WON'T WRITE IT!" Aang yelled at the man, his furious voice echoing within the metal walls of the chamber.

This time, the man held his hand out to the guard. The guard handed the man his sword.

"Write it, or I will make sure that you will not walk out of here looking the same that you did when you walked in."

"I didn't walk in, you bastard, I was dragged in here!" Aang said, although he was quite scared of what the man was going to do to him. "No matter what you do to me, I will never write to Katara telling her that I no longer love her! There is no physical pain that you could possibly inflict on me that would make me do that!"

The man blinked, obviously shaken. If he could not harm Aang to make him write the note, then what could he do?

"I will kill her, then," he decided simply.

"What?" Aang shouted, furious.

"If you do not write this note, then I will kill her."

Aang shook his head.

"You cannot do that! You wouldn't!"

The man smirked, knowing he had won.

"Of course I would."

Aang dropped his head in defeat, exhaling a large breath he didn't know he was holding. "I will write it, then," he admitted grudgingly.

"Now that sounds more like it!" The man dropped a bottle of ink, a pen, and a piece of parchment onto the table in front of Aang. "Make it sound convincing. I want her to actually think that you don't love her anymore. You must include that you are in love with a woman by the name of Azula. She is the apple of your eye, the full-bosomed beauty of your heart. You are going to love her for the rest of your days, and you never are going to leave her. That sounds about right..."

He walked over to Aang and took out a small knife. He swiftly swiped at Aang's bindings and unbound his hands. Then he took out two silver cuffs that were chained to the floor and closed them onto Aang's forearms. The man stalked out of the room, grinning to himself. He never saw the single tear that Aang shed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Katara, there's a letter for you!"

"What?" Katara said, turning from her window. Ever since Aang's disappearance a few days ago, she had been looking all over town. She didn't feel safe in Germany anymore, so she spent the last few hours looking out the window, thinking of Aang. Wishing he were here.

Sokka handed the letter to Katara and said, "You know, I really have no idea where Aang could be, but I think that we should be leaving Germany. We can't stay here any longer because the next thing you know, you could be kidnapped! Or I could. But I would be more important and you would be even sadder n' stuff, so-"

Katara shoved him out of her room so she could read the letter.

Opening the envelope and scanning the letter, Katara noticed it was Aang's handwriting.

She stopped. Her eyes slowly returned to the top, re-reading the letter again, taking in everything. Every single detail.

_Oh, that bastard_, Katara thought, her eyesight blurred and reddening. _So he had been seeing this Azula for some time and decided to leave and see her? I bet he was the one that drugged us and faked the fainting!_

She felt her heart freeze over, hating the world, hating men, hating everyone.

_I will never love again._


	17. Princesse De La Glace

**THIS IS A VITAL FLASHBACK! **This is the linking chapter helping transition to the timeskip! Yes, peoples, there will be a timeskip! Next chapter! So get ready for the pumping adrenaline (and estrogen sadly) and get ready for the biggest (but also the not biggest) shock of the story! I probably should have put this earlier in the story so I could have Katara thinking about it sometime but it's here. Deal with it.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Mommy!"

She called out into the dark, her small, childish voice echoing against the cold, stone walls. The candlelight turned, the warm hand attached to it following.

"Yes, my darling?" The comforting voice was soothing and loving, calming her instantly. But still a pang of curiosity remained in her heart, a yearning, a wonder. Like holding a small box in your hand that tinkles and whistles when you turn the handle, one would want to know what is inside that box, making it create those wonderful, curious noises.

"Could you tell me the story about _La Princesse de la Glace?_" she asked quietly.

"Of course, my little princess," she said, smiling widely. "Of course I'll tell you about the Princess of Ice. Did Marie Isabelle tell you about her?" her mother asked.

"Yeah," she said, lowering her head and blushing, knowing completely she had just ratted out the maid.

"It's alright. It's a great and romantic story," her mother amended, resolving to talk to Marie Isabelle later.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Once upon a time, there was a woman. She had dark, winter hair that shined in the sunlight, thicker than any minkcat fur. Blue, glistening eyes that were warm when she was happy, and icy when she was furious. Lips that were warm enough to melt any stone heart when pulled into a smile, and heartbreaking enough to melt any stone heart when dropped into a sad grimace. A voice so musical it sounded more beautiful than an entire symphony of harps and harpsichords. A body more beautiful than any other to walk the earth, more powerful than anyone but the Avatar himself, and can be used to persuade and deceive anyone on the earth. However, all this power and beauty does not come free; it comes with only one single catch that may destroy her completely.

Her heart will be broken.

Not once, not twice, but six times. And not just normally, like a man you love does not love you back. They were specific types of heartbreaks, all in chronological order, spelling out the fate of her country.

First, someone close to her will die. This will be the Family heartbreak.

Second, a beloved animal of hers will disappear. This will be the Animal heartbreak.

Third, the man she loves will leave her. This will be the Man heartbreak.

Fourth, would be the very intense heartbreak she will experience; this heartbreak will cause her to become cold and test her ability to cope. This will be called the Intense heartbreak.

Fifth, she will not speak to anyone, even while she becomes the most powerful person on earth. While this does not sound like much, she ruins many relationships she has with her friends and family, as well as her staff; later, this will cause her to realize all of the things she has done to her people and cause her heart to break. This will be called the Negligence heartbreak.

Sixth, untold and put simply, Evil will enter her life, ultimately testing entirely her ability to outwit, outsmart, and cheat death. This will be the most difficult and horrible heartbreak of all of them.

Spelling out FAMINE, if the _Princesse de la Glace _survives all six of these test, her seventh will to be to end the famine that will plague her country, the worst in over a thousand years.

If she would fail, slowly the country would cease to exist. She would flee the country, narrowly escaping an angry mob that would chase her for the rest of her life. If she would prevail over all odds and banish the famine from her lands, she would be considered the greatest hero in history.

The other catch would be that nobody knows who she is or where she comes from. Any country could have raised her, no one would be able to tell throughout her adolescense if she were the most beautiful of all, for she would be normal. She might even slightly resemble a boy. France, England, Germany, anyone could host the fabled Princess of Ice. However, no country wanted to host her, for if they did, they have the risk of ceasing to exist forever.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The Princess of Ice story was made into a nursery rhyme for the young children to sing, and it is written here.

_The Princess of Ice, fille de la glace, sings from her balcony, counts her heartcracks,_

_One for the family_

_One for her pet_

_One for her lover_

_One she won't forget_

_One for her silence_

_One for the bad_

_One for the Famine _

_And one for her dad_

_Tho she is pretty, tho she is belle, _

_La Fille de la Glace can't help but think she's in hell._

Just to keep her daughter cheerful, the mother added three more lines.

_But 'Lo! Here returns her lover, here returns her father!_

_The heartcracks gone, and so is the famine,_

_The Princess of Ice, our savior, none other!_

Katara grinned, showing her mother the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

"Thank you mommy!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Katara's broom swept back and forth accross the floor, dust coulds circling up into the ceiling. The open window swallowed all the dirt and the air, and exhaling more fresh air into the room. They were departing from Germany tomorrow, but Toph was constantly complaining about the accumulating dust on the floor, so naturally she would ask Katara to take care of it.

Katara sang one of the few nursury rhymes she remembered from when she was little.

"The Princess of Ice, fille de la glace, sings from her balcony, counts her heartcracks.

One for the family

One for her pet

One for her lover

One she won't forget..."

Katara stopped and froze. She racked her brain, but when it came to the rest of the song, her mind was blank. Her memory of childhood songs, one of her last pieces of her life with her mother, was gone. Only the first 5 lines of the song were the ones she could remember.

In disappointment, she sealed her lips, not knowing how long they would be sealed for.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-

Check back in a bit for the next chapter! I'll try to get onto typing it soon!

~Momo


	18. Hatred, Water, and Two Visitors

Allo! SO... now I have devised my next chapter... BWAHAHAHAHA... so as I said before, we are entering the timeskip. Katara is now... 19! So is Aang! I have not yet released Toph's age but it would probably be 18 and Sokka should be around 21. I will explain what has occured within the past 3 years in this chapter, as well as elaborate on the situation at hand! Now... let's go!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

She stood out on the balcony, glaring at the frozen land beneath her. She hated everyone here, but she was their ruler, she was their leader. Everyone went around their daily business, smiling, joking, being happy and whatnot. But not her. She could never be happy, not after everything that had happened to her.

She resembled that of a goddess, but a million times more beautiful. Her dark, flowing, sparkling hair glided all the way down to her lower back, her eyes resembled the frozen water atop the lake. Her lips were light and shining, but her expresison was not. Her expression mirrored that of a proud, unfeeling man who had just found his daughter dead in the barn. Solemn, grave, and if you had the time to examine very closely, tearful.

Princess Katara had taken over her father's place on the throne. A mere three years ago when she returned to her home in France, her father had reportedly burned down fifteen buildings in the marketplace, and was thrown into the dungeon, charged with arson.

As soon as she stepped into the castle hall, Sokka on her right arm and Toph on her left, her father was being dragged out the door, his hands tied behind his back.

"Katara!" he shouted joyfully, "you're home! Please help me Katara! I was framed! These men are taking me to the dungeon!"

She coldly looked at him. As her father's face fell and tears flooded his worn eyes, she remained silent.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

His calloused hand reached up to feel the beginnings of a beard. His hands were worn from gripping the slick, metal bars, wishing them to bend, just as his will had. His eyes were that of someone who had just lost their last friend. Years were spent behind these bars, trying to break free. He had spent months on end trying to figure a way out, months just trying to survive. What kept him going was determination to right the wrong he had committed against his true love, to tell the truth when his whole life had ended up a lie.

A metal bar squealed somewhere in front of him, but the darkness was too deep for him to see anything. A candlelight shone through, blinding him instantly.

"Here's your food," a small, feminine voice said, setting down a tray with a large clunk. Aang looked up into the woman's face.

She looked like an acrobat but she resembled a mouse, her eyes a charcoal black and her nose a tiny point on her face. Her lips were sad, for she couldn't help but feel bad for Aang... she was one of the few people that knew that he had done nothing wrong.

"Thanks," Aang said, testing his voice. It was as grainy as sandpaper being rubbed up against the wall. The girl winced, her red and gold uniform clinking with the movement.

"I'm really sorry... I can't get you a drink because Germany doesn't allow their prisoners to have water..."

"Yeah, I know," Aang said. The girl winced at his voice again. This time she walked back to the door, looked into the corridor to check for people, and scurried back to Aang.

"Wait. I'll be right back," she said.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Aang remarked, and then they both laughed. She ran out the door.

Five minutes later, the girl ran in and handed him a canteen.

"There's a well just outside the wall of the prison," she informed him, "and if you want, I could bring water with your meal."

Aang took a long drink from the canteen, and handed it to the girl. "That would be great," Aang said, his voice not as bad as it was before but still having the sound of deep scratching.

She smiled.

"What's your name?" Aang asked, smiling back.

"Ty Lee."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I would like to request an audience with the Princess, please," he said. The guard looked into his eyes, fear slithering into his soul.

"Of course, King Zuko. Will you be taking your wife with you?"

"Yes."

The guard escorted the Prince and his wife to the chamber where the Princess was sitting, bored with a passion.

"Princess Katara, King Zuko and Queen Mai are here to have an audience with you," the guard proclaimed, his voice shaking.

Katara looked up, and waved them to come in.

The two sat down across from Katara, and Zuko opened his mouth to speak.

"Katara, my father has currently turned up an angry group of assassins against me and my wife. They are unable to travel to Germany at this moment, so we were hoping we could stay here in France with you until this horrible group subsides and disappates."

The Princess thought for a moment and nodded. She stood, pushed in her chair, and led them to a part of the castle where they could stay. They gave their thanks, and she quickly left their presence. Tears were streaming down her face.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sorry this chapter is so short, and some of you are probably wondering why in the world Katara's crying! Well, that'll be explained... I hope... anyways, next chapter should be up in a bit!


	19. The Advisor

Hi again! To all of you who are somewhat angry because the story has turned completely confusing (coughbreecough) I am truly sorry, but that is the emotion I am trying to convey! Although there is bitterness from Katara and forlornness from Aang, the pure image that I am trying to paint is that the colors of the scenes run into one another and make you try to blink and meander your way through all the details. So thanks for bearing with me through these chapters of confusion (lol) and please know that it will all clear up soon enough!

DISCLAIMER: Read past chapters, ye who love to sue.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tears glided down her face, dancing down her cheeks, fluttering off her chin and splattering onto the floor. Although she didn't expect it, seeing the first one who rejected her's face simply tore her heart into smaller shreds than before. Especially with that girl... that strikingly gloomy yet beautiful girl.

_How could Zuko have given me up for her_? Katara's brain shouted to herself. She wasn't attracted to Zuko whatsoever, but she couldn't stand the idea of being rejected anymore... She had been rejected by Zuko, then by the marriage laws of her people... and then Aang...

Her eyes narrowed as soon as his name crossed her mind. He was one who had given her up for someone she didn't know, and then wrote her a letter to inform her of his unfaithfulness. The one who she had loved the most had left her...

A silent chuckle erupted from her mouth, shaking the half-tracked tears from her face as that second thought crossed her mind. The notion of ever loving Aang was laughable. No one should ever love him, not even the pig he decided to go after. She figured she was in a desperate phase at the time, running away from home and all, so her heart was especially susceptible to sudden, deep attatchment.

Her fingers tightly gripped the white railing of the balcony when she heard his voice behind her.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Thank you for the water again," Aang said, smiling appreciatively. She nodded.

"Of course." She looked away, pausing. "I just can't believe you haven't thought of it already," Ty Lee said, rolling her eyes and grinning.

"Thought of what?" he asked, confused.

She glanced from side to side, and checked outside the door, spotting a group of guards trudging by. Shaking her head, she locked the door and crouched down right in front of him, her eyes sparkling in the dim candlelight.

"I've been bringing you water every single day so that you could cut through the metal bars with your waterbending! I thought you would be looking for ways to escape... so..."

Aang looked at her for a second, and then burst out laughing. "I can't believe I didn't think of that!" He reached for the canteen through the metal bars, but she snatched it away playfully.

"You must do it while I'm not around," she said, snickering. "And don't leave the canteen on the ground. They'll fire me for giving you water."

He smiled warmly as she deposited the water container into his hand.

All he could say was a mere "Thanks." She stood up and gave him a final smile, and then turned and walked out the door.

He waited five minutes, unscrewed the cap, and pulled a large stream of clear water out of the canteen. Nobody ever heard him break the small window in his room. Nobody heard him jump out of it.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Yes, it is me," the man said, grinning evilly. "Back from your childhood, ready to haunt you at all times, no?"

She shook her head, her eyes closed, her hands balled into fists and knuckles glowing white.

"I have come on orders to talk to you, but I have heard you have taken a little vow of silence, no?"

She nodded angrily.

"Well, I would like to speak with you, so if you could pardon that little vow for a while-"

Nails raked his cheek as she smacked his face, sending him staggering back into the wall. Katara raised her hand, commanding a large amount of water to fly out of the lake below. She flicked her fingers all at once, and the water separated into thousands of small ice-daggers, frozen instantly with a large CRACK. It was if a giant ice-army had appeared behind her, floating in the air and ready to strike.

He stood firm, although his resolution was wavering.

"I'll be back, when you change your mind, Katara. Just call my name." He reached behind him and opened the door, turning and walking away from the livid princess.

The ice daggers melted and splashed into the ground around her. She gripped the balcony rail for support, her body shaking with anger.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Sokka, I need your help."

The young man turned, and his face hardened. "Adviser Zhao," he said, inclining his head. "What assistance do you need?"

The middle-aged man stroked his beard, thinking hard.

"I need a way to speak with your sister," he said, glaring at the wall.

"She won't talk to you," he said quietly, glancing away. Ever since she got that note in the mail, she hadn't spoken at all. Not for three whole years.

"That's why I need-"

"I won't help you," Sokka interrupted, glaring at the adviser's face. "You know she's been through much trauma, and making her talk won't do her much good. Unless you're suicidal."

Zhao shook his head. "Sokka, you need to understand how important this is. I've received a report-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Sokka yelled this time, narrowing his eyes into slits. "You may think you have a credible report, but there's nothing you can do to convince me to help hurt my sister."

"Teach her sign language, teach her how to write, it doesn't matter to me, just find a way to get her to be able to have a conversation with me, or so help me Sokka, I shall strip you of your knighthood," Zhao menaced.

"Try and see what happens," Sokka replied, just as menacing. They had a stare down.

"It's all your fault, anyways," Sokka continued angrily , "it's all your fault that this happened to her. You could have taught her to express herself through writing and such, but you kept her isolated educationally so she would react this way. Well, I'm sorry, but it looks like you got slashed by your own sword. She knows how to write, but it might take some prodding and poking for her to remember fully how to do it." He turned. "My words will wish you well, but know that my heart does not feel the same," Sokka said, exiting the room.

Zhao kneaded his forehead with his fist, truly furious.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He was the night. He streaked through the forest, by towns, up rivers, down streams; it was all a blur of darkness. The cloak wrapped around his back, the hood shielding his head, the cover on his face, all masking his true self. The whisper of the grass beneath his feet, the howling of the wind in his ears, the murmuring of his clothes in the nighttime, all blending into one clear, icy picture of his plan.

Streaking straight past a sign proclaiming "PARIS, FRANCE," he came to a sudden halt.

A masked smile rose and stretched across his face.

He was here.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-

Dun dun duuuuun! I'll update in a bit and in the meantime, tell me what you think!

~Momo


	20. MM and Kidnapped

Hi guys! I'm kinda in a writing mood and I was pretty bored this weekend, so I decided that I would write the next chapter! Hope you all are enjoying the Olympics and here we go!

Disclaimer: Meh. :P Me no own Avatar.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

His fingers itched.

When he tied up the shopkeeper and set him headfirst into the trashcan, the three men who also ran the shop had already run to alert the authorities; he knew he had to hurry. If he waited any longer, the police would be there, slamming him into the ground and tying his hands with the rough, unforgiving rope. He snatched the most expensive spices, jewels, and items from all the shelves and wrapped them in a large, costly silk tablecloth from Eastern Europe. He bound the tablecloth with a cord made of golden thread and threw the sack up over his shoulder, and then proceeded to jump out of the already broken window.

He ran as fast as he could away from the shop, hearing the storming noise of horse hooves against the cobblestone road. He leapt into a tree, right as a candlelight flashed in his direction. He grinned, running his gloved fingers over the silk, and dropped silently from the tree as the confused authorities picked up the note he left.

"Who's the Masked Marauder?" a bearded policeman asked the shopkeeper as he pulled him out of the trashcan and untied his bindings, glancing between the man and the note.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up in recognition.

"The Masked Marauder robbed my shop! Oh no!" he shouted, running his fingers nervously through his hair.

"Dear sir, please let me know who this Masked Marauder is," the policeman said sternly.

The shopkeeper looked away briefly and answered, "He is the most feared bandit throughout this whole section of Paris. He recently arrived but a few nights ago, and almost every shopkeeper here has felt his wrath. He is the conversation of all shop owners here, but no one dares to stop him. Some say he has brought deadly black explosive powder from China, some say he has the plague, and some say he carries but a single, sharp sword with him, silencing his victims."

"Hmm." The policeman thought for a moment, and then handed him a single gold coin. "I hope you can retrieve some of your lost items. This should be able to get your business restarted."

The shopkeeper smiled at the policeman, and then retreated back into the shop.

The policeman mounted his horse. Stroking his beard and smirking, Zhao snapped his reins, knowing with utmost certainty that this story would be able to get Katara to talk.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

_**Three Days Later**_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0_**  
**_

"Katara. Have you thought about what I've said?" Zhao stepped around the ajar door, immediately met by a glaring pair of icy eyes. She nodded, and pushed a piece of paper towards him.

With two grubby fingers, Zhao picked it up and read it.

_I'm willing to listen but acknowledge that I will only answer on paper._

"Okay, then," Zhao said, taking a seat and folding his hands. "I have something to tell you."

Katara nodded, scribbling on the paper.

_I guessed that you idiot._

Zhao shot an annoyed look at Katara, and then continued. "There is a bandit in the market sector of Paris and he appeared only a mere fortnight ago. Now, every single shop has been robbed by this man, and I have been slowly gathering information about him from the robbed shops. He wears completely black, and only takes the most expensive things from the shop, even if there is not a price tag attached to it."

_Okay, so what does this have to do with me?_

Zhao kneaded his forehead with his fist, clearly frustrated once again.

"Unless we stop this threat, Katara, people will begin to mistrust us. Although we believe we are royalty and we rule over them, peasants are still people and they easily outnumber us. Shopkeepers all over have voiced their discontent, and some even speak of rebellion. With a shortage of food steadily growing steeper, we cannot allow this to happen."

_Raise foods from other countries. Silence these rebels and find this bandit. What does he call himself, anyways?_

"The Masked Marauder. We cannot find him at all, for as soon as help arrives he is gone in the night breeze."

Katara paused her pen, and then dipped her feather in ink and scratched out what she was writing previously.

_It seems we cannot do anything at the moment. Is there any more information you have?_

Zhao glanced from side to side, checked the door with a flick of his eyes, and swallowed. "Yes. He has left you a letter."

Her eyes widened, and held her hand out for it. Zhao reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment and handed it to Katara.

_2 Janvier (January) _

_Bonjour, My Princess._

_As you may know, I am the Masked Marauder. I wish to speak with you as soon as possible, in a formal matter with no guards._

_I would never do anything to hurt you, so you needn't worry about bringing weapons or such. I won't bring any either, I swear._

_In addition, I will bring everything I have stolen within the past eleven days with me so you can return them to their proper owners. I only stole them to bring up notoriety for myself._

_Please meet me in the deserted building at the end of main street tonight. No one goes there anymore and I assure you it is the safest deserted building in the town._

_M.M._

Katara looked up from the note, and scribbled something onto the paper.

_Why is it dated from two nights ago?_

Zhao smirked, his eyes glinting.

"I caught him myself," he said, snapping his fingers. Five guards marched through the door.

Katara's eyes widened in confusion.

_What are you doing?_

"I believe your reign as princess has ended for a while, Katara," Zhao said, the smile sliding off his face.

She stood up, reaching for all the water in the area, but the guards made quick work. She was knocked over the head, and her world went black.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tada! Sorry that chapter was a bit short, but I will continue in a bit! A cyber penny for your thoughts... VVVVVVVVV clicky


	21. Prison Cell

Yo everybody! Just wanted to thank everyone once again for the reviews :D Apparently "nearing the end of the school year" means "load the kids up with as much homework as possible," so I haven't had a lot of time to type lately! :3 Although this is going to be around where one of the last climaxes occur, I feel like this story can go on for quite a bit longer.... I'm thinking of ending it around chapter 30? Tell me what you think; I have quite a few options, so either take the poll on my profile or shoot meh a review XD So here we go!

Disclaimer: I seriously don't get why the heck the guy who wrote the movie Avatar decided to call it _Avatar_. Didn't he know how much that would piss all the Avatar: the Last Airbender fans off? I mean, before we didn't have to distinguish what we meant in conversations, like "Hey did you see that Avatar episode last night?" Now people that are eavsdropping are gonna be like, "OMG they came out with a TV series?" and we get all pissed off and are like, "No. Avatar: the Last Airbender. Idiot." And then an argument breaks out and everyone is punching and kicking each other. I have honestly encountered this situation at least twice_._Why couldn't the writer have just named the movie something a bit more creative than ripping it off a Nickelodeon TV series? That would have made all our lives easier. Haha this was more of a rant than it was a disclaimer... well anyways the guy who wrote Avatar doesn't own Avatar: the Last Airbender and neither do I. :3

-0-0-0-0-0-

THUD

The guards unmercifully tossed her into the dark room, charcoal eyes glinting as the sudden shard of light breached the darkness through the door. The sun was setting outside, and Katara's meeting with Zhao occured nearly 4 hours beforehand.

She had woken up within 10 minutes after beginning transit to the deserted shop, and after putting up a struggle, the transportation had taken two hours longer than Zhao had expected. Upon arrival Katara had made one final attempt to escape, but it was all in vain as they bound her hands with three different kinds of materials to keep all water away from her hands.

Katara skidded across the dirt floor of the shop. The guard tossed a hunk of bread into the middle of the room. He set a candle down in the corner of the room for light, and then closed the door behind him, boarding it and bolting it shut.

Spitting out the dirt that had accumulated in her mouth, Katara struggled with her bindings, and finally wove her hands out of one of the layers. Sadly, that would be the easiest of the three layers of material, and when she finally ripped her hands out of the second layer, she gave up and sank back to the floor, blood dripping through the burns on her fingers.

That was when she finally noticed the other person in the room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sokka took a long swig from his cup on the table. The coarsely ground tea in the cup was supposed to clear his throbbing headache, but the pulsing pain in his head endured the steaming cup of the aromatic tea. He tried hard to relax and recline in his chair and get comfortable, but his aching temples killed off any help he might have received from a comfortable position. He sighed, annoyed.

**_Knock Knock Knock_**...

Sokka sighed and stood up from the table, walked to the door, and unlatched the wooden plank.

"Who's there?"

He looked around outside, noting that the sun had just set; pink outlined the horizon, fading from a bright salmon color to a purple, and then to the dark navy that was already beginning to encompass the sky right above him.

Sokka was heartily socked in the stomach.

"Down here, Snoozles," said an annoyed voice. Sokka looked down, clutching his stomach in pain. He glanced down at Toph, who was standing with her arms crossed. "Not everyone in the world is six feet tall, you know."

"Sorry," he grunted, and stepped over to the right so she could step inside. She tromped through the door and kicked aside a chair, and promptly sat down and lifted her bare feet onto the table.

"Why are you here?" he asked, still rubbing his aching stomach. Toph had punched him pretty hard.

"I came to let you know something," she said. "You should have been able to sense it, Snoozles."

He blinked in confusion. "What?"

"You didn't know?" Toph pounded her fists angrily on the table. "How could you not know your sister has been kidnapped?"

"WHAT THE HELL? BY WHO?" He stood up so quickly his chair clattered to the side, his cup's contents splattering all over the table and the floor.

"I couldn't tell. I haven't been formally introduced to him, so I wouldn't be able to recognize who it is. I can tell Katara's as well as your footsteps from almost anywhere. His... I can't tell who it is. It's more than a mile away, and by then it gets kind of fuzzy..."

Sokka rubbed his temples furiously, trying to get the traces of anger, confusion, and a headache out of his system so he could think clearly. Minutes passed awkwardly, and before long Toph began to fiddle with the ripped lace at the edge of her shirt

"What should we do, then?" he asked, obviously shaken and at his wit's end.

"Well, we could break directly into the prison that they're held in. It might be difficult, though, because her kidnapper may have guards stationed around the place where she's contained. Another option could be that we find who-"

"We could dig a tunnel all the way to the place where she's located, and then we could come up through the floor! Then we could all escape while you block off the hole so they wouldn't be able to follow us!" Sokka suggested brightly.

With half-lidded eyes and a very wide, smug smile, Toph said slowly, "I _like _the way you _think_." She cracked her knuckles, pushed her chair aside (which again clattered to the floor) and made a punching motion towards the floor. The ground sank immediately in a perfect circle, and Toph hopped in. Sokka looked down the hole, and stepped back a few steps.

"How will I be able to see?" Sokka sounded nervous, reaching for the lantern on his side table. Suddenly a soft, medium-sized hand sprung up, grabbed him by the ankle, and yanked him down into the tunnel.

"As long as you don't walk into my ass then you don't need any light. I'm making the tunnel as we go," Toph told him. "I don't happen to need light anyways."

Sokka shrugged and followed closely behind Toph, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

She thanked the heavens that he couldn't see the hot, creeping blush spreading across her cheeks.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He watched her hands fall limp after struggling for quite some time; through his sensitive nose, he could pick up a salty, rusty scent. His eyes widened in the dimness; she was bleeding. The glittering of a liquid seeping down her fingers in the candlelight confirmed that. She coughed quite a few times and spat twice, taking a few wheezing breaths before turning completely silent. After a few seconds, her head lifted up and searched around the room, and in the darkness he assumed she had noticed him.

"Hello, your Highness," he said softly, hoping she would respond.

His words shook her system; the man's voice resonated in her stomach, masculine yet tender with the slightest concern. His voice washed over her like a blanket of relief, a blanket of comfort, and yet, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Friendliness? Familiarity?

She decided not to respond. She hadn't talked in years, why should she talk now? The corners of her eyes threatened tears; they burned her eyes like hot coals in a furnace. Although this man had a very appealing voice, he might not be a friendly thief; her delusional mind told her that maybe Zhao had protected her from a horrible thief that really _was _hostile. She could never ever trust anyone, they _always _turned on her like this. Tears ran down her face. That's why he's handcuffed to the wall, a good ten feet away from me in this small room.

He waited for a response, the silence growing more and more awkward as the seconds ticked by. The candlelight flickered, and with that small flick it crossed shining droplets en route to her chin.

Immediately upon seeing her tears, he flicked his wrists downward, and the handcuffs clattered to the floor. He hurried over to her, kneeling immediately as he reached her shocked face.

In the slightest of whispers, Katara breathed.

"It's you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yes, I'm sorry I ended it there, but I just _had _to! I couldn't continue the conversation effectively and convey the things I wanted to happen, but I do promise that I'll do my best to update quickly. :)

-Momo


	22. Tender Reunions

Hi everybody? Having a good summer? I hope so! Here's the next chapter!

::So, I just noticed that the borders I use to separate scenes are now automatically removed thanks to FanFiction. I'm going to go back through **_all _**(sigh) the chapters and fix this, because it does happen to become confusing! If I see any typos or errors I'll go fix those too! ~Momo::

Disclaimer: Blah.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

His gloved fingers slid up to brush against her cheek, wiping away the small tears that flooded her eyes and dripped down her chin.

"Yes, it's me." His eyes flicked over to the bindings, and within seconds his skillful fingers had unknotted the remaining layer of cloth. Her hands dropped to the floor, and she flexed her hands into fists, out into a fan, and back into fists.

Katara struggled when trying to push herself up to a sitting position, and he quickly caught her when she collapsed, holding her close to his chest.

They sat there like that for a while, not knowing what to say to each other. Katara's body suddenly became racked with sobbing, and she doubled over, letting tears fall freely from her eyes. He looked down at her, completely shocked.

"What's wrong?" He was completely bewildered, he hadn't done anything to hurt her, had he?

Eyes glistening with tears, she looked up at him with a look so awfully hurt and heart wrenching he could feel his heart breaking.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked, her voice sounding like the most beautiful symphony of harps, chimes, and flutes all wrapped up with the blowing of fresh icy wind.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"How much longer?" Sokka whined. Toph's reply was an elbow to the stomach. Sokka dropped his hands from her shoulders to clutch his stomach. "Come on! We've been down here for like, an hour!"

"Sokka, it's kind of hard with all the people in the city walking around, especially since we're under the market right now. It takes some concentration to try to trace Katara's footsteps, _and_ she might not even be walking around right now! Which is bad, because that means we'll have to wait until she moves her feet along on the ground. I have a feeling she's trapped in a deserted house somewhere."

"Well, find her please," Sokka said, slipping his hands back onto her shoulders. "She's my little sister. I won't rest until she's safe."

"Yeah, yeah," Toph said, waving her hand dismissively, even though she knew Sokka wouldn't be able to see it in the pitch black of the tunnel. "Let's just go." She opened her fists and made a pushing motion in front of her, and the rock and dirt in front of them flew forward another fifty feet.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"What?" He leaned in closer, not understanding what she meant. "Why did I leave you?"

Still crying, Katara reached up to caress his face with her burnt and bleeding fingers. "Why did you have to leave me for _her_? Why? I thought you loved me! I thought... I thought you loved me Aang!"

"I do love you, Katara! I have loved you all this time! Every day, not being with you, not being by your side, it pained me so much I thought my heart would break..." His hands slid up and slowly removed the fabric of the mask from his face. Scars littered his neck, and Katara assumed there were lots on his chest and back as well. The candlelight flicked over the shining, raised skin; he turned his head to the left to reveal a long, thin one running from behind his ear down the side of his jaw, all the way down beneath his clothing.

He pulled back the long black sleeves of his shirt to reveal scar-ridden wrists and forearms. Katara sat up all by herself and Aang scooted back a bit. She reached out with both hands and lifted the shirt up off Aang's lean and muscular torso. He winced as the fabric peeled off a healing scar on his back and the wound reopened and began to bleed slightly.

Katara looked over all the scars, all the wounds, all the pure _torture_ Aang, _her _Aang, had endured. With utter fear, slight anger, and pure concern, Katara looked up into Aang's dark, stormy eyes.

"Who did this to you?"

Aang turned his head further to the left and spat on the ground.

"Someone whose name I cannot recall," Aang said bitterly.

Katara's hands flew out and gripped his shoulders. "What happened? Tell me now, Aang. I want to know."

Aang closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. "That last day, that day that I fainted, all our food was drugged. I was taken to an unknown location, forced to write that letter-"

Katara winced.

"And then I was taken to a jail cell and occasionally whipped and tortured. They didn't kill me though. They knew that if Zuko found out that I was being held there he would be furious. And then I managed to escape, miraculously, by the hand of a kind guard. I assumed the role of a thief so I could bring up enough notoriety to get royal recognition, and then I was going to try to have a meeting with you to tell you that I had escaped." He brought a hand up to her face, his gloved hands caressing the side of her cheek.

Her eyes still teared, but this time she reached up and embraced his kneck.

"I missed you," she whispered, burying her face deeper into his scarred, warm chest.

"I missed you too," Aang said, clutching her closer and depositing his face into her soft, beautiful hair.

After a few minutes of holding each other, extremely emotional because of their sudden reunion, Katara pulled back her head slightly so she could look Aang properly in the face. Her eyes closed slowly, slowly, so slowly, and she leaned in, lips poised, her breath catching slightly. Aang began to lean in as well, closing the distance from feet to inches to a half inch to a quarter inch...

Footsteps in the distance.

Aang disappointedly exhaled and looked away, slowly and carefully released Katara, picked up his clothes, and whipped them back on. He walked over to the handcuffs and reattached them to his wrists.

The footsteps came closer and closer, and Katara made a feeble attempt to reapply her bindings to her wrists as well, but she didn't get a chance.

A perfect hole in the ground exploded open, and two familiar face popped out.

"Hi there!" Toph shouted quite excitedly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

YAISE! I feel quite accomplished. *Triumphant look* Hope you liked it!

~Momo


	23. Escape

O-KAY! School started for meh, and it isn't the bestestestest thing in the world, but the story shall go on! :3 homework's done too! :D

Disclaimer: Hyper+typing+burrito+koolaid DOES NOT EQUAL gud story. Hyper+typing+burrito+koolaid+MUSIC = AWESOME STOREH! ^3^ so yah. Me no own Avatar. But me an Avatard. :3

.::::::::::.

Katara gasped a bit while Aang grinned widely. "Hey Toph!" he said, laughing out of surprise and irony.

Toph's face turned towards the source of the sound, and her blind eyes lit up like the stars in the sky. "AANG?"

Aang shucked the cuffs off his hands once again and trotted over to Katara and helped her up. "Yeah!"

Sokka's head popped out of the hole as well. "Hey Toph there's some light in he-HOLY CRAP IT'S AANG!" Sokka pushed himself out of the hole and caught Aang in a giant, thankful hug.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, man," Sokka said, his throat quivering slightly.

"It's okay, Sokka. Just got... you know... a bit caught up. I'll explain later," Aang promised, pulling back and smiling assuredly. Sokka opened his mouth to talk again, but Toph cut him off.

"SOMEONE'S COMING!" Toph shouted. "INTO THE HOLE!"

Sokka turned and jumped into the hole. "Come on! Aang! Grab Katara!"

Katara limped towards him as the door became unbolted and unlatched. Both their eyes widened as the door swung open and they were greeted by a firing squad of archers and the smirking face of Zhao.

"My my, what a surprise," Zhao said, weaving through his archers and henchmen and stepping through the door. Aang's stomach dropped a few hundred floors when Toph closed the hole in the dirt floor. Now they had no way out.

.::::::::::.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sokka protested, grabbing her shoulder reflexively.

"Just wait. I don't want Zhao to trip and fall into here. That would suck," Toph said, concentrating on the floor above them.

"But-"

"Shut UP," Toph growled, punching him in the gut.

.::::::::::.

"Well, well," Zhao snorted, circling the two. "Looks like the two lovebirds found each other again." Aang hugged Katara closer to himself. Katara turned her head around to glare at Zhao.

"Get the hell out of here Zhao. This isn't your country. It's mine."

"We'll see about that, after your precious boyfriend is out of the picture," Zhao said, shining his nails on his coat. Katara's eyes narrowed to slits; she spun completely around and slapped Zhao full on the side of the face. Her nails raked across his cheek and cut into his skin slightly, then pushing his face as far to the side as possible.

Zhao and Aang were completely shocked; Zhao's hand flew up to cradle his left cheek. Completely flustered, he turned abruptly and raised his hand, walking back through the firing line and out the door. The 15 men of the firing squad stepped through the door and made a line along the back wall; simultaneously each and every one of them knocked their arrows and aimed at the two.

The arrows hit the wall.

And Aang and Katara had disappeared.

.:::::::::.

Their feet hit the bottom of the cold tunnel, and the opening above them sealed as quickly as Toph could seal it. The shocked voices of Zhao and the firing squad could be heard from above. Katara was clutching to Aang's chest for dear life, and Aang's arms were crushing her waist to his. Both of them opened their eyes to meet the darkness.

"Aang! Katara! I got you guys right in time!" Toph said happily. "Great! I thought my timing was a tiny bit off when both of your hearts stopped. Let's go! I sensed one of them has a shovel in the cart they brought. They're trying to dig through the ground right now."

"Did I ever mention how awesome you are?" Sokka's voice echoed throughout the tunnel.

"You can stand to mention it more," Toph replied smugly.

Aang and Katara regained themselves and began to follow behind Toph and Sokka.

After walking for quite some time, Toph stopped. Sokka bumped into her, and a few seconds later Aang and Katara walked right into Sokka.

When nobody said anything, Toph spoke.

"They've overrun your house, Sokka. We're standing right under the floor right now, and the guards are all over the place. The palace isn't safe either..."

"What are we going to do?" Katara asked softly, still not used to using her new voice.

"There's only one thing _to_ do," Toph replied, her tone disproving. "And I don't like it."

"What?" Sokka asked.

"Well there's nowhere to go in France 'cuz Zhao's probably going to throw it into a dictatorship or a tyranny," Toph explained, "so for the time being we've gotta go somewhere where nobody will find us. We've gotta somewhere where nobody knows us at all."

"Like where?"

"Dunno. We've just gotta come up with like, fake names or something. Hey, this is nothing to plan in a dark cave. Let's go somewhere where the three of you can see," Toph said, resuming her quick pace.

A few minutes later, she skidded to a stop in the dirt and pushed Sokka off her shoulder. She spread her arms wide, and made a punching motion at the ceiling of the tunnel. The top blasted away, and she pushed herself up out of the tunnel. Sokka followed, then Katara, and finally Aang. They were graced by a quiet, peaceful meadow and a cooling, refreshing breeze.

"Okay. So let's plan this out." Sokka whipped out a huge piece of parchment and a bottle of ink. "Crap. Forgot my quill." He dipped his finger into the bottle and flashed a huge grin. "READY!"

"I CALL MOMMY!" Toph shouted, hopping up and raising her hand. "I WANNA BE THE MOMMY!" The rest of them eyed her suspiciously.

"Okay... Toph... is... mommy..." Sokka wrote messily with his index finger. "What should your name be?"

"Hmmmm... How about... Mrs. Roca?"

"Toph... is... mommy... and... Mrs... Roca..."

"KATARA IS MY DAUGHTER!" Toph shouted, pointing at Katara.

"Katara...is... daughter..."

"I want my name to be Océane," Katara said, barely containing her laughter.

"Name... is...Océane..."

"And AANG IS NOT MY HUSBAND-"

"HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!" Katara shouted

"Sokka... is... daddy," Sokka said. "Name... is... PIERRE ROCA!"

"What's my name?" Aang whined.

"Dominique."

"Why?"

"'Cuz it sounds cool and it doesn't have a weird accent on it," Sokka said.

"AND it could also be a girl's name!" Toph piped in. Aang slouched, annoyed.

"Fine."

"Hey!" Sokka whined, "Someone drank all my black tea!"

Toph's sightless eyes widened. "That's why I'm so hyper..."

And then she slumped over and fell asleep.

/::::::::::\

YAISE! Finally another chapter! :3 Hope da names were ok... I tried to pertain them to the setting... so yeah... ^3^ tell me wat u thot!

~momo


	24. Announcements and Characters

Hi everybody! No reviews so I guess I need another chapter to be written :3 HERES DA NEXT ONE!

..:::::::::..

"Marie, what did we get in the mail?"

The little girl looked through the bag filled with parchment. "We... we got some letters..." She handed the bag to her mother.

"Clarisse," her husband said, wrapping his arms around her waist, "what did we get in the mail?" Clarisse blushed.

"We got some letters, Shane," Clarisse said, handing him the bag.

Shane reached into the bag and pulled out multiple fliers all stating the same thing. His face darkened.

"What is it?" Marie and Clarisse asked at the same time.

"We have to go to the main square today at three," he said dully. "Zhao is calling a meeting of all the civilians there.

Clarisse shook her head. "C'mon, Marie. We need to put on your best dress. We're going out." She glanced back at Shane, who was completely downcast. She nudged Marie towards her room and turned around.

"Shane, what's wrong?" She walked up to him and put her arm around his waist. He handed her the flier and looked away.

Clarisse gasped.

..::::::::::..

"Mommy, Daddy! Wet's go wet's go wet's go!" the little boy exclaimed, pulling her parents further and further down the road.

"Calm down, Alexandre! Mommy and Daddy are tired," the mom said grimly, slowing her walk even more than before.

"But we need to get to da sqooware in tiiime!" Alexandre whined.

The dad sighed. "Jane, what are we going to do?" Jane glanced to the side.

"I don't know, honey," she confessed. "I don't know if there's anything _to _do..."

..::::::::::..

"I don't wanna go," she said brattily.

"Rina, just because you're 16 doesn't mean you don't have to go to the town meeting," her mom said, annoyed.

"You can go. Don't feel lonely just because dad's out of town and drag me into it."

"Rina Degas, I want you to go because it will help you be a part of your community. It's good for you as a young lady to take part in important events in your town!"

"I. Don't. Care," Rina said flatly, waving her hand dismissively.

Her mom sighed. "Fine. I forbid you to see Sean anymore."

"WHAT?" Rina jumped up from the couch, absolutely livid. "WHY?"

"Because if you can't take part in your community, then you can't take part in personal romance," her mom reasoned.

"Fine. I'll go," she said, walking briskly out of the room."But you can't stand anywhere near me," Rina called from her room.

Her mom smiled.

..:::::::::::..

Tens, hundreds, maybe even around a thousand, all encircled around the dirty, unkempt square, held their breaths as he stepped out of the shadows. As he made his way towards the center of the square. As he removed his war-torn helmet, lowered the hood from his eyes.

"Today," he shouted, his voice booming across the square, echoing off the distant walls. "Today, my people of France, I present to you, a new beginning. A rebirth." He paced around in his large circle of cobblestones, nobody having the courage to be within a thirty-foot radius of him. "Today, I present to you, a change in your ways. A fresh start. Today, I present to you, your new leaders." The man spun his hand back wildly to gesture to the shadows from which he came. Fiery eyes glinted within them.

"Today,"

One shined, golden boot made itself visible to the thousand eyes trained on the shadows of the building.

"I present,"

A beautifully adorned leg, christened with silks, baubles, and golden threads appeared, although the decorations ended halfway up the thigh. The rest was simply milky-white skin.

"Your king and queen,"

Both figures appeared out of black. Shining in the gloomy morning. Flecks of diamonds among dust. The woman and the man simultaneously grinned, although their smiles were tinged with malice.

The man took a deep bow, popped back up, and shouted to the rooftops of the city, "Zhao and Azula!"

A knife flew from an unknown source, and the announcer-man was pronounced dead.

Zhao raised an eyebrow at Azula, who shrugged.

"He was annoying," was her simpering excuse.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

"Hurry up."

"I'M HURRYING I'M HURRYING!" an on-edge Sokka shouted as Toph jabbed him in the ribs again.

"Hurry up."

Sokka scoured over the map within the remaining milliseconds he had before Toph's three fingers connected with the bruised flesh over his ribs. "FOUND ONE!" Toph's fingers stopped a hair's length away from his shirt.

"What's it called?"

"Augustine!"

"Where is it?"

"Near a mountain. Resting by a forest. Bordering a desert. The center of it is a lake. With arctic-like temperatures," Sokka rattled off quickly, trying to think of random geographical figures that might convince the bored girl.

Toph paused, considering this. She reached a conclusion. "You're lying." He was rewarded with yet another jab to his ribs. Sokka whimpered, studying the map closer.

"It's... not near anything really," he said slowly, catching her fingers before they could connect with his side again, but not expecting the counterattack. She tapped the ground with her pinkie and a rock ejected itself from the ground and propelled itself into Sokka's ribs again. He winced.

"Could you quit it? I'm telling the truth!" Sokka snapped, making a mental note to ask Katara to heal the annoying bruise later. "The only thing near this town called Augustine is a giant meadow and a small cave in the outskirts. It's only about five miles away from here."

"We can live in the cave," Toph mused. "It sounds great to me."

"Fine," Sokka said, standing up. "I'll go find Katara and let her know." Toph's hand caught his sleeve before he could go any further.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Toph said warningly.

"Why?"

Her blind eyes looked to the side, considering whether or not to tell him.

"Sokka, since we're so close to our destination, I think we should all be trying to get into character," Toph started slowly. Sokka nodded, not knowing where this was leading. "But I believe that we should try to keep the basic roots of our own morals inside our fake aliases. So, to start off, I could care less about almost anything. So, for starters, I'm a very carefree mother. I don't really look into matters about what my daughter does, I don't care who her boyfriend is, what classes she's taking, what kid she beats up. As long as she eats the dinner I cook and doesn't start pulling weird mushrooms out of the forest and getting all messed up, I'm fine with whatever she does. Your turn."

"Well," Sokka began, "I care a lot about my little sister, so I think it's safe to say I'm a very protective father. I want to know all she can tell me about school, I must approve of her boyfriend a thousand times before I'll stop inquiring, if she takes a weird class I'll object, if she beats up a kid I'll be disapproving but secretly proud my baby can protect herself. I want to make sure she's safe at all times, not getting serious with any boys, and not even thinking about the weird mushrooms in the forest. OR CACTUS JUICE," he added loudly for good measure.

"Okay," Toph said, "so now we must assume our character at all times while talking, so if someone sees us entering the city, they don't think we have split-personalities or think there's something fishy about our presence." Sokka nodded in affirmation. "So now, will all those characteristics set in place, what would happen if I told you the reason you shouldn't go over there is Katara and Aang's makeout session is getting a little heavy?"

Without a second thought, Sokka stormed over to the tent on the grass, threw open the flap, and began yelling at the couple who looked like deer-caught-in-cart-lights.

"Looks like the smitten couple already figured their characters out," Toph said with a slight laugh.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

YESHHHH! Hope you liked the chapter! :3

~Momo


	25. More Characters and a Brewing Disaster

HAI EVERYBODY! *nods at the two people in the audience* I would like to present to you... (waves hands around dramatically) THE NEXT CHAPTER -next chapter magically appears right here- AWESOME IT WORKED *bows triumphantly* [two people in the audience- "What...the...crap...?"]

**DISCLAIMER-NO-JUTSU: **

THIS IS A DISCLAIMER. IT DISSES ANY CLAIMS I MAY HAVE ON AVATAR. [**Disclaimer:** Momo, you suck. You're not allowed to own Aang. Or any other character. They belong to Bryke. They're way cooler than you. **Me:** *whiney voice* Awww... Disclaimer... pleeeeaaaseeee? **Disclaimer:** HAAAAAEEEELLLL NAW MOMO YOUR FACE LOOKS LIKE A WAFFLE **Me: **? I've heard better comebacks from a turkey sandwich **Audience: **...** Disclaimer: **Aw snap *walks away ashamedly* **Me: **YESHHHHH! *sprints off to go grab Aang while I still can* **Disclaimer: *SMACK* Me: *falls over***]

...I don't own Avatar...

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

"Katara, how are those clothes coming along?" Sokka shouted to the tent sitting about a hundred feet away. An annoyed grunt was the response. "Katara... that's not very ladylike..." Sokka said in his most annoying tone. A red pair of pants flew out of the flap of the tent and hit Sokka square in the face, knocking him over.

"Sokka, you're not even doing any work," Toph complained. "You need to start doing something."

"Like what?" he asked, pulling the article of clothing from his face.

"Like... building your character some more. You need to build more aspects and make Pierre Roca, your alias, a more rounded citizen of society. If everyone only knows you as one thing, they'll see that you're a one-dimensional person. They would get suspicious."

"Well, I already have the protective-father aspect down. What else do I need?"

"Hmm..." Toph thought for a moment. "Money-wise, how do you manage your family?"

"Well, obviously I make a lot of money," Sokka started, grinning and stroking his imaginary beard. "I'm the only source of income for the family; I'm the solid rock this establishment is built upon, I'm the only hope for our entire family, everyone relies on me for their _LIFE_!"

"And how do you spend?"

"I'm the opposite of... frugal?"

"So you spend a lot of money on stupid things..." Toph said slowly.

"YEAH!" Sokka said, pumping his fist in the air.

"You're the hope of the entire family... and you spend your money... on crap..."

"HELL YEAH!"

"Ok... now... socially... how does your character act?" Toph asked.

"I'm a very dominant man in my community! I start all the conversations, and if the conversation doesn't include me, then it's not a conversation! Well, it probably _would _be a conversation, but it wouldn't be a _real _one, like a good one, you know what I mean?" he rambled. "Everyone is jealous of me, but they show their fake smiles because they don't want to be my enemy. They want to be the leader of all, the strongest of them all, the iron fist of the family, the lion in the bedroom-"

"HOLY CRAP YOU'RE A LION IN THE BEDROOM? TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU VIEW YOUR LOVE LIFE!" Katara shouted, flying out of the tent with Aang and landing beside Toph, all three of them adopting faces of blatant curiosity.

Immediately Sokka blushed as red as a tomato. "Uhhh... I need to go... sew some pants..."

"You'd better do a good job, Mr. Lion!" Katara shouted at his retreating back. He cowered even more, and ran as fast as he could towards the tent.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

"Dinnertime!" Aang called from the fire, tossing everyone a roasted apple.

"Whaaaaaaaaat?" Sokka whined in his "this-isn't-real-food-this-is-rabbit-food-and-isn't-meant-for-a-real-good-looking-and-muscular-guy-like-me" voice.

"Just eat it. Dominique made it especially for you," Katara said, smacking him over the head.

"Océane..." Sokka said warningly.

"Shut up, Papan. I don't care what you say, but I love Dominique more than anything," she said, wrapping Aang up with her arms and burying her lips into his neck, eliciting a gasp from him.

"HEY. I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF HAPPENING IN FRONT OF ME-"

"I could care less," Toph said, marching in and kicking Sokka in the shins.

"Maman!" Katara piped up. "Papan is being meeeeeeaaaaannnnnn..."

"Mr. Lion," Toph said disapprovingly, "you know my daughter is free to do whatever she pleases." She smacked him over the head.

"But... but..." Sokka protested, covering his head, "Océane already hit meeeeee..."

"So?" she bit ferociously into her apple. "It's great, Dominique. Thanks." She flashed an almost-nonexistent smile, then turned her attention back to Sokka. "Pierre Lyon Roca, I know that you know that I know that you took some beef jerky from the food supply earlier..."

Sokka flashed a nervous smile. "HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH! I was hungry!" He received another smack over the head.

"BAD. You know we're low on food!"

"Well, I'm going to work tomorrow and-" Sokka started.

"HELL NO. YOU KNOW WE'RE MOVING TO AUGUSTINE TOMORROW!" Toph shouted. "WE NEED ENOUGH FOOD FOR AT LEAST THREE DAYS!" Sokka sighed and shook his head. He lifted his eyes to the campfire and noticed that Aang and Katara were gone.

"OCEANE! DOMINIQUE! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU TWO GO?"

Toph snorted while Sokka stormed over to the tent.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Her fingers played with his luscious locks of hair, twirling them from side to side. She grinned when he turned his eyes to her.

"Azula, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, my love. Absolutely nothing. What are you doing?" Zhao turned his eyes back to the paper, picked up his quill, and finished the sentence. He then called for his messenger. A young man, no older than twenty, entered the room and then knelt on the floor.

"What do you desire, my lord?" the boy recited, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Take this paper. Read it aloud to me so I may decide whether it sounds right or not," Zhao commanded, holding out the parchment. The messenger obeyed.

"As of this day, by decree of Zhao the Mighty, all trade routes passing through France are hereby eradicated. Citizens of France are banned from trading with any foreign countries, and if anyone is caught doing so, then they will be imprisoned," the messenger read.

"Ah, I found something I would like to change," Zhao said, holding out his hand for the paper. The messenger handed it to him. Zhao grabbed his pen, scratched out a word, and then wrote some more in. He handed it back to the messenger.

The messenger's eyes widened, focusing in on the last few words.

_...if anyone is caught doing so, they will be killed on sight._

,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,

Katara stood up on her toes, trying desperately to reach the top of the cave with her outstretched fingertips. However, her arms simply were not long enough to graze the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" Aang asked, stepping into the cave, followed by Toph and then Sokka. Katara dropped her arms and then turned to face him.

"I was trying to see if we could hang something from the ceiling. I haven't slept in a hammock for the longest time, and the ground doesn't look to comfortable..."

"Just tough it out, Océane. You're a big girl, sleeping on the ground isn't going to hurt you!" Sokka said. Katara stuck her tongue out at him. Aang strode up to her and easily touched the ceiling with his fingers.

"I could hang a swing-blanket from the ceiling if you'd like. It isn't going to be the same as a hammock between two trees, but it should keep you a good ways away from the ground," Aang said thoughtfully. Katara smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, my Dominique." Sokka's jaw dropped.

"OMYGOSHSTOPKISSINGINFRONTOFME!" he shouted. Toph punched him into the wall. "GAH!"

Toph knelt down and felt the ground with her hand. It was cold and solid rock. She fanned out all her fingers and 'high-fived' the rock, and immediately the consistency changed from stone to a soft, fluffy sandy-dirt.

"That'll be better to sleep on," she said to no one in particular. Everyone just stared at her in amazement.

Sokka pushed himself off the wall, dropped to his knees, and poked the dirt experimentally. "It's squishy." He pressed his hand down, pulled it away, and laughed at the hand print he made.

"HAHAHAHA!" he laughed, drawing all over the floor. He began punching the dirt and then laughing at the fist-marks he left everywhere. "It's like I'm beating up the floor!"

Toph's eyelids dropped in annoyance and she stomped on the floor. Immediately the ground changed back into hard rock. Sokka couldn't stop his flying fists in time, and he had delivered three or four punches to the ground before he realized that his hands were severely injured.

"OW OW OW OW OW!" he cried out. Katara ran over to him, pulling water out of her pouch to heal him, laughing the entire way.

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

Hope you like-like-like! :D

~Momo


	26. SUPERFRUIT MOUNTAIN!

Yo everyone! It's been a while since my last update, and OMG I HAVE 100 REVIEWS IN THIS STORY! *a billion cyber cookies to Akhenaten 5 for my 100th review :3* and thanks to all of you who read along the way!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

.::.:.::.

"Please read me the report," he drawled, twirling a stray strand of Azula's hair behind her ear. Zhao picked up a glass of wine and brought it to his lips, waiting impatiently. The messenger cleared his throat nervously and read out everything on the paper.

"Sir Zhao, the report states these things that may be of your interest. Firstly, foreign trade has gone down from 93 percent to 0 percent."

Zhao and Azula nodded simultaneously. "Good, good," Zhao said, smiling. "Continue."

"Secondly, farming has gone down from 89 percent food production to 35 percent food production, many farmers declaring that they have no need to sell anything if they can't trade with foreign countries." Zhao didn't respond. Seconds passed, feeling like hours to the messenger. Unnerved and feeling very awkward, the messenger continued, "The price of bread has increased tenfold, and much of your people cannot afford it anymore."

Zhao shrugged, taking a bite out of his imported cheese. "No matter. If my people cannot bring in the criminals I have clearly printed on sheets throughout the land, then why should I help them? Once those trouble-making children are in the deepest dungeons of my castle, then I shall do my best to help my subjects. Until then, I have no concern about them. They should be able to help themselves."

Completely dazed with shock, the messenger gaped at the frankness of Zhao's statements. Zhao clapped his hands. "You are dismissed," he said flatly.

The messenger staggered out of the room, crumpling the paper in his hands.

.:.::.:.

The four friends sat in a circle, wanting to start their first real day in Augustine just right. Aang cleared his throat.

"We need to blend in to the community," Aang started, "so that we can stay here for extended lengths of time. If we want to go back to Paris, then we can say we're taking a vacation. We could come back if there's any more trouble and live here peacefully. It could be like our fallback, you know- if something doesn't work out, we can just come back here and not worry about being caught."

"Exactly," Sokka said, grinning. "That's why I think we should get jobs here."

"What?" Katara said, actually pretty surprised.

"Yep!" Sokka replied. "Jobs would be a good source of income, and they would allow us a straight way into the hearts of the community."

"That's... actually pretty smart!" Toph exclaimed. "So who should do what?"

Everyone was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Just as Katara's mind began to delve into the endless possibilities that this town could have, Aang piped up, "I would like to run a fruit stand with Océane." Katara smiled in response.

"Running a fruit stand with Dominique would be awesome."

Sokka nodded. "Okay... so... I guess I'll look around for a job with To- I mean Mrs. Roca..." Toph nodded and hauled herself to her feet.

"I'd like to be a stay-at-home mom, but this cave would get boring pretty quickly. I guess I can grace the people of this town with my presence."

Aang got to his feet and helped Katara to hers. Sokka and Toph left swiftly to go out looking for work, but the two lovebirds stayed behind to plan their approach to fruit-selling.

"We don't have a lot of money and we're toast if we reveal our true identities to people," Aang said to Katara, drawing strange doodles in the dirt, "so we pretty much have to start from nothing. We've got here with nothing but the clothes on our backs, so we need to find a way to get fruit and a cart..."

"Well," Katara said, thinking for a moment, "we could probably find a few trees nearby and fashion a cart out of it to hold our fruit..."

"Good idea," Aang said, smiling and scribbling that idea into the dirt. "Now, about the fruit..."

The two of them thought long and hard about how to get fruit, the sole source of their money in the business. "Why don't we look around? We don't know what we might find..." Katara said slowly, shrugging her shoulders. Aang nodded, not really coming up with anything better. The two strolled outside the cave and immediately turned their eyes to the surrounding area. The two searched for about an hour, looking through the surrounding land for about a mile, and returned to the cave with absolutely nothing.

"Well, this sucks," Aang said dejectedly, kicking the dirt. Katara groaned in agreement. She turned and roughly leaned up against the wall, and then sank to the ground. Her peripheral vision caught a small blur to her left, quite near the opening of the cave. Her eyes flicked towards the object, which was a bright red. Her jaw dropped in shock.

"Aan- I mean Dominique!" she shouted to him, streaking towards the small red object. Upon reaching it, it was obvious that it was an apple. Aang was at her side immediately, shouting for joy.

"Where did it come from?" he asked, his face displaying the biggest of grins. Their eyes flew skyward, and then the both of them realized that the cave was at the base of a mountain.

"Do you think-" Katara started. Aang's response was picking Katara up bridal-style and using his airbending to vault them halfway up the mountain. Katara gave a small shriek, but ended up in a fit of laughter.

As they landed, he gave her a quick peck on the lips. When he started to turn away to go look for the parent of the small apple in Katara's hand, Katara dropped the apple and grasped the lapel of his shirt and pulled him back, kissing him full on the lips. Her mouth moved hungrily across his, her arms beginning to envelope his neck, pulling him closer to herself. Aang tilted his head slightly to the left, deepening the kiss. Katara moaned into his lips, unlocking her fingers from each other so they could dance upwards into Aang's soft hair. He slowly backed her up against a nearby tree, and upon her back making contact with the tree bark, a wave of apples rained down upon the two. The two broke apart in surprise, finding themselves swimming in apples. Some began to roll down the mountain, ending up near the mouth of the cave. Aang and Katara grinned at each other, scooping up apples until their arms were laden with the fruit. They piled them up in the cave and ventured back up the mountain, grinning from ear to ear as they found more and more fruit.

.:.:.:.:.:.

Okay, so we have fifty apples, thirty-six peaches, and twenty-three pears. From the small berry patch we found, we have sixty-seven strawberries and about seventy raspberries. We had great luck and found three melons on the mountain... and... that's it!" Katara said, reading off her notes in the dirt. She looked up and over to the giant stacks of fruit that lined the side of the cave; they had pulled out an enormous amount of leaves to cover the ground to keep the fruit from getting dirty. The mountain ended up being quite amazing; they hadn't searched more than a tenth of it, and they already had a giant haul of fruit from it. Aang had also discovered that if you walked for a little while past where they were sitting in the cave, there was a sizable pool of water there. The fruit could be easily washed and then placed on the leaves they had gathered.

Aang decided that his task would be to make the cart, for he blew down the first medium-sized tree he saw and began blowing off the leaves with his airbending. Cutting up the tree proved quite a bit more difficult, and he decided to give up when the sun began to set. Toph and Sokka returned not much later, dropping a small sack of coins onto the ground while breathing laboriously. The both of them collapsed onto the ground a few seconds later.

"The guy we worked for was a total a-" Toph began, but was cut off by Sokka shouting, "HE DIDN'T GIVE US ANYTHING!"

After the two had cooled down a bit more, Sokka explained a bit more. "There was this guy who was pissed because all the trade was gone. Apparently Zhao has cut off trade to all countries or something like that. So anyways this rich farmowner decided that he didn't need to farm as much because all the real cash comes from foreign countries. He fired a bit too many of his farmworkers, and now his farm was in a rut. He hired us for a day for what we thought was a pretty good amount, but damn, he worked us TO DEATH," Sokka fumed angrily. "And he held it over our heads, too. '_Eef you don't do zis pour moi, I keep ze pay I veel geev you two!_'" Sokka mimicked in a heavy French accent. "He basically made us carve up his land and all the works."

"WITH NO BENDING!" Toph complained with twice the malice lining her voice. "As soon as I took a stance, he complained that bending ruined his farm in the first place! Bloody infertile land, that's what his farm was like. I could easily tell he hadn't farmed anything in ages, he was just keeping himself healthy by using a small patch for himself. He hadn't watered anything either, so the land just shriveled up and died. He decided that he wanted to make a profit again, the damn idiot, and realized that his land had died within a few weeks!"

"I heard that this is what's happening to a lot of farmers these days," Sokka mused. "Lots of angry farmers were lining the streets today, looking for people to work their land for them. This guy just was offering the most money."

"Well I'm glad we at least have enough money to buy a few tools," Aang said, grinning. "We got quite a bit of fruit, and now all we need is a cart."

"I could see that!" Sokka said in awe, staring at all the fruit. He stood up shakily and grabbed the nearest fruit, which happened to be one of the three melons. He ferociously took a huge bite out of it while Katara cried in dismay.

"DADDY!" she shouted, waving her arms around.

"Shut up, daughter," Sokka said flatly, taking another sloppy bite. "Daddy's hungry."

Toph and Aang laughed while Katara dropped her head in annoyance.

;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;

*staggers backwards from the computer* I shouldn't have written that all in one sitting. *falls over* But please review! Hope you guys have a great 2011!

~Momo


	27. Construction and Sales

Hey peeps! Pretty boring day with nothing to do, so I decided to update! :3

Disclaimer: *empties pockets* uh... I don't have any Avatar...

.:.:.:.:.:.

Swinging the little bag of coins from side to side, Aang strolled through the square at the center of Augustine. He looked around for a shack that was selling tools of any sort. After about five minutes of searching, he got lucky and found a cart that was manned by an older man who was selling farming tools. Sorted accordingly and neatly polished, his wares ranged from gardening tools to deforestation tools. Aang approached the cart and greeted the shop owner kindly.

"Hey there sir!" Aang said amicably. The old man looked up and grinned a toothless smile.

"Greetings, young man. Can I interest you in some tools? They are the finest in all of Augustine," he said proudly.

"I bet they are! Um... would it be possible for me to buy a saw?"

"But of course!" The old man kindly picked up one of his saws and handed it to Aang. "That'll be five silver pieces, please."

Aang rummaged through the little velvet bag, searching for silver coins. His fingers pried five small silver coins free from the bag and deposited them into the old man's wrinkly hand. The old man grinned at him once more, and nodded his head in thanks.

"Thank you!" Aang said, turning away.

"Have a great day," the old man called towards Aang's retreating back, pocketing the silver pieces. A head of cabbage soared through the air, landing smack-dab in the center of the old man's face. His head whipped around, pieces of fresh lettuce sliding off his bald head, and glared at the instigator who was no more than ten feet away.

"DAMN YOU CABBAGE MAN!" shouted the old man, picking up a shovel and swinging it threateningly at the cabbage man.

"HAHAHAHA!" the cabbage man laughed. The old man hobbled over to the cabbage man's cart and swung his shovel, obliterating the lower row of cabbages on his cart. The twelve or so cabbages were reduced to shredded lettuce, and the nicely stacked cabbages that were formerly sitting nicely began to roll off the cart and all over the dusty earth. "NOOOOOOOOO! MY CABBAGES!" the cabbage man shrieked in despair, falling to his knees and cradling the fallen cabbages.

The old man hobbled back to his tool stand with a smirk of satisfaction as the cabbage man began polishing his cabbages and placing them back onto his cart. "You'll have to pay for those!" the cabbage man shouted at the old man. The response was a silver coin pelting the cabbage man in the head.

.::..:::..::.

"Got a saw!" Aang announced when he entered the cave. Katara perked up from her nap and smiled sleepily, while Sokka and Toph, who were munching on some bread they bought from a baker, nodded in his general direction.

"Great," Katara said. She motioned towards the tree sitting outside the cave. "The tree's over there."

"Alright! I'm on it. Should be done in a bit," Aang said, turning and approaching the tree. Katara closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Aang quickly went to work, sawing the tree deftly into wooden planks and pieces. Soon the tree had been reduced to a pile of splintery planks. He pressed his hand lightly against the wood and shook his head.

"What's wrong, Dominique?" Sokka called from the cave, noticing Aang's slightly downcast face. Aang walked over to Sokka and sat down.

"Well, the wood is very splintery," he started, showing Sokka a large splinter he had just picked out of the wood, "and the fruit would be greatly damaged if we wanted to sell it. It would also be a hassle to move the cart around."

"No problem!" Toph exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She trotted over to the pile of wood and spread them all out on the ground. Toph stomped her foot on the ground, and all the dirt within a radius of ten feet turned instantly to coarse sand. She swept her foot to the side through the sand, and a wave of sand crashed down all over the wood. She repeated this motion for about twenty minutes with the guys watching on in awe. After she deemed it appropriate, she kicked her foot to the side and all the sand removed itself from the top of the wood, and she stomped on the ground once more and the sand returned to its original state.

Sokka ran over to the wood before Toph could even reach it, and picked it up. "HOLY VACHE IT'S LIKE POLISHED WOOD!" Aang ran over to see for himself, and in awe he grasped the once-rough wood to find it strangely smooth.

"Wow... thanks To- umm... Mrs. Roca!" Aang stuttered, almost saying her real name. Toph punched him in the shoulder.

"No problem, Twinkletoes." She lumbered back to the cave, picked up her bread, and resumed eating. Sokka soon followed, and then Aang cursed under his breath when he realized he didn't buy any nails or a hammer.

.:::...:::.

Aang returned once again from the market, this time holding a small burlap bag filled with long iron nails, two 14-inch iron wheels, and a heavy hammer. He dropped down to his knees and began hammering piece after piece of wood together. He carved out two small areas for the wheels to fit in near the front, and hammered two smaller planks to either side of the back of the cart so they could easily push the cart. He smiled as he finished, wiped the sweat from his brow, and dropped the hammer to the floor.

"Océane! I finished the cart!" Aang called into the cave. Katara picked up armfuls of fruit and carried them out to the cart, arranging them nicely and sorted them accordingly. Aang walked into the cave and began helping her with the task, and soon the entire cart was full of delicious fruit.

"We're leaving, mom and dad!" Katara called into the cave. Sokka grunted in affirmation. "That's not very daddy-like," Katara admonished, laughing to herself. She and Aang pushed the cart down the road and into the town. They searched throughout the square for a place to park their cart, and they finally found a place under a shady awning near a small teahouse. They sat around for a while, waiting for customers. It wasn't until they got their first customer that they realized they hadn't decided on prices for their fruit.

A little old lady hobbled up to their cart and gave the couple a quick grimace that Katara thought was her best attempt at a smile. The lady then glared at all the fruit without a word, and finally pointed to one of the small melons.

"How much," she grunted at them. Katara and Aang looked at each other in surprise at the revelation that they didn't decide on a price. Aang opened his mouth to say something, but Katara was faster.

"Two silver pieces," Katara said, smiling warmly at the lady. The lady glowered at Katara.

"Two whole silver pieces? Too expensive," the lady grunted, turning away from the cart slowly. Aang felt his stomach drop. They didn't know how much the money was worth here; this area of the country used a different currency than Paris. He had just paid what was asked of him, he didn't really think about whether the deal was good or not. He couldn't stop the words tumbling out of his lips.

"It's only one silver, miss! Just one silver," Aang said quickly, holding out the melon to her. She turned back around, glared at the melon, then at Aang, then at the melon, then at Aang. Then back at the melon. Then at the coins in her little coin bag. Then finally back at the melon.

Sighing, she grudgingly took the melon and deposited a silver coin into Aang's hand. She shuffled away while Katara and Aang thanked her for her business. The old lady began to grin, or grimace to herself.

No more than a few seconds later, a lady in her late late 20's came walking down the road with three children tottering behind her, and a fourth and fifth one holding both of her hands. She paused when she saw the delicious-smelling fruits in the cart, and immediately admired the remaining melon.

"Goodness! What a beautiful melon!" the lady exclaimed. She looked up to Katara and Aang. "May I? she asked, motioning to the melon. When both of them nodded, she dropped her children's hands and twirled the melon through her delicate fingers. She looked back up to the two. "I would pay no less than two silver pieces for this melon!" she exclaimed.

Katara smacked her forehead while Aang carried out the transaction.

.:.:.:.


	28. Spoils of War

*twiddles thumbs* C'mon guys... reviews would be nice... *holds out mug* XD I kid, you don't HAVE to review... but it _would_ be nice. I get lonely here with only lychee nuts and my typewriter...

...

Moving on...

DISCLAIMER: I would like to inform all potential prosecutors that I don't own any of Avatar: the Last Airbender no matter how much I would like to. *WAHHHHHHHH*

.;.;.;.;.;.

As soon as the sky began to swirl into a beautiful splash of purples and pinks and oranges along with the golden setting sun, Katara and Aang wheeled their cart back to the cave, disappointed at the scarcity of their sales. Aang threw his arms into the air and stretched into a huge yawn while Katara dropped to the ground, a mopey look splayed across her face.

"The only things we sold were those two melons! All this fruit is going to go bad if we don't sell it soon," Katara said, slightly downcast. Aang patted her back.

"You know, all we need to do is make a living. We can eat the fruit when it's on its last legs of freshness." He scratched his head and looked down at a few bruised apples in the cart. "Some of the fruit _could _be in better shape, though." He picked a few badly bruised ones and tossed them into the bushes.

"We should set prices on the fruit and write them down somewhere where everyone can see how great our prices are," Katara suggested, shrugging. "We're getting all this fruit for free so we don't need to worry about setting our prices too low."

"Yeah," Aang agreed, tossing the last mauled apple gently. "It really seems like the town's kinda suffering because of the trade lock-down and the farming crisis. The least we can do is offer very low prices to help everyone out."

Katara looked around. "Did Papan leave his bag with the parchment and ink here?"

"Let's wait until they get back." Aang dropped to the ground next to Katara and rested his head on the dirt. Katara shifted her head so she could rest it on his chest.

After the sun set behind the hills, they could hear the crunching of the dirt, signaling Toph and Sokka's return. As they approached, their slouches became more and more pronounced.

"What's up?" Katara called when they came within a suitable earshot. Sokka kicked some dirt in response.

"Another bad day?" Aang suggested. Toph exhaled loudly.

"_Papa_," she began venomously, whipping her head around to face him, "_why don't you tell them?_" Sokka winced.

"Well," he began shiftily, "we took another really high-paying job." He yelped when Toph's fist connected with his shoulder. "_And this time it was the first farmer guy's evil second cousin!_" Sokka peeped double-time.

Toph's feet slapped along the ground when she entered the cave, and she fell forwards and was somehow cushioned by the unforgiving rock. She was sleeping comfortably within a few minutes.

"Evil second cousin?" Katara questioned, sitting up. Aang followed suit and Sokka nodded tiredly.

"Except for this time he didn't just have the accent, he only spoke French." Sokka screwed up his face and dropped his eyebrows, looking somewhat like a demonic old man. "_Vous devez faire tout je vous dis ou vous n'allez pas recevoir vos paiement_!"

"Geh my French is rusty," Aang complained. "I didn't speak it all that much in Belgium... I could get by with Mrs. Omanito in English..."

Sokka sighed, thought for a second, and then relayed, "You must do everything I tell you or you're not going to get your payment!" Wiping his forehead, Sokka added, "Same thing as last time, eh?"

"Toph must have had a hard time, too," Katara mused. "She speaks Spanish, not a speck of French." Sokka shrugged.

"I thought she got along fine," he said, turning to the fruit cart. He picked up an apple and bit into it, the juices spraying all over his face and clothes.

"CAN'T YOU EAT NICELY?" Katara shouted at him. "I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WASH THAT!"

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

The next day, Katara and Aang wheeled their cart into town. They parked it in a place with more traffic so they'd have more potential customers; this time Katara had used one long piece of parchment and scrawled neatly every price for every fruit they were selling, one side in English and the other side in French, just in case. Berries were two copper for a handful, a single apple was a single copper. Their pears and peaches went for two copper each, and after replenishing their melon selection from the mountain, the melons were selling for one silver apiece.

With the flow of traffic much more numerous than before, they had much more sales than they had the day before. People saw the low prices and came up to the cart; if they asked for fruit in English Aang would handle it, while if they asked in French Katara would answer them. Sale after sale was carried out, and around a half-hour after lunchtime, sales died down.

The two were lounging around their cart when an older man wheeling a cabbage cart saw their fruit cart. Smirking slightly, he wheeled his cart and parked it across from theirs, about twenty feet away in total. Katara was examining a bruised peach and Aang was counting the money when the first cabbage hit.

It wasn't big or anything; it was a small lump off a head of cabbage. Splattering into the front of the cart and falling to the ground, Aang and Katara jumped backwards, completely shocked. Katara's bruised peach departed from Katara's hand and squished itself on the floor, a handful of money clattered to the ground. Aang wrapped his arms protectively around her waist while the both of them looked around for the source of the attack. Their eyes landed on a wheezing old man at his cabbage cart, struggling to breathe because he was laughing so hard. Katara's eyes narrowed.

"He just hit our cart with a cabbage!" she hissed into Aang's ear. Aang rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Maybe... it was an... accident?" he said, smiling when Katara gave him an annoyed 'even _you_ don't believe that' look. He turned his eyes to the cabbage man.

"Hey!" he called to the man. "What are you doing?" The man snickered loudly.

"A bit of friendly competition, nothing more!" he called back, picking up a head of lettuce and examining it closely. He shined the lettuce head with his sleeve and set it back on his cart. Katara and Aang sighed.

"Oh well," Aang said, bending down and beginning to pick up the coins he dropped on the floor. As soon as he ducked down a lettuce head sailed right over where his torso used to be, slamming into the wall behind them and flopping onto the floor. His popped right back up and glared at the man. "Ooh... it's on..." he said darkly, rolling up the cuffs on his sleeves. Katara looked shocked.

"What?" she said indignantly. "You were defending him just a moment ago!" His answer was picking up the bruised peach from the floor and throwing it as hard as he could at the cabbage man. It hit him smack-dab in the nose.

"BLEHHHH!" the man shouted as mushy peach-juice sopped all over his face and dribbled down his neck. "BLEH BLEH BLEH! EWW!" As he wiped it all off with one of the rags on his cart, a wide grin made itself present on his face, starting small at first but then blooming into a fully-developed sinister smile. "HEHEHEHEHEH..." He picked up another lettuce head and tossed it roughly at the fruit cart.

Aang, making use of his quick reflexes, snatched up an apple and chucked it as hard as he could at the lettuce that was still mid-air. The two exploded into a flurry of lettuce and apple bits on impact.

A while later, Aang and the cabbage man were draining their resources from their carts and attempting to make the other surrender as quickly as possible. Berry juice and mushy apples littered the cabbage man's cart, while bits and leafs of lettuce were all over the fruit cart. Katara didn't even want to know what their front sign looked like anymore.

It was around five o' clock now, the sun at a tilt, threatening to fall back behind the mountains. The no man's land in between the two warring carts looked like a true battlefield, gory strawberries and dying peaches all crying out in despair as they were assailed with flying lettuce.

And then it was all over. The cabbage man tossed a medium-sized head of lettuce, aiming straight for Aang's head. At the last second, however, Aang's hands flew up to protect his face and ended up catching the head of lettuce neatly between his fingers. The cabbage man flipped.

"AUUUUGH! YOU CAUGHT MY LETTUCE!" he shrieked, running around in circles with arms flailing. He sped around to the back of his cart and hoisted up a pole with a white rag tied to the end. He waved the flag around wildly, set it back into his cart, and then frantically wheeled his cart as far away from them as he possibly could, tossing silver coins behind his back. Aang strolled over to the trail of silver coins, picking them up one by one. When he returned, a look of utter triumph was splayed across his face. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Guess that was the manliest thing you've done in a while, huh, Dominique?" Katara drawled. Aang nodded, depositing two handfuls of silver coins.

"And we even got the spoils of the war," he said happily, grinning. He failed to mention that their fruit supply was completely annihilated and after lunchtime, nobody had bought a single fruit. In fact, nobody had even walked down the street while the fruit-cabbage war was in session.

Wheeling their empty, lettuce-ified cart back home, the only "spoils of war" Katara could come up with were the clinking of the full coin bag and the hot grin Aang had on his face for the entire day.

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

WOOT! *fistpump* I think that was the most fun I've had writing a chapter. Like, no joke. Hope you guys liked! (I sure did lol) Review plz! BY THE WAY: if some of you happen to not know the meaning of "spoils of war," it essentially means the things you win because you won a war. No need to get all technical if you know the entire dictionary definition by heart, I just wanted to simplify it so I could post this chapter faster XD

~Momo


	29. Ze Attractive French Men

Hey guys! *peace*

Disclaimer: Ja.

.;.;.

His feet clattered down the hallway, barreled down the corridor, kicked the door open. His hands thrust up a piece of parchment. His head ducked in respect.

"Zhao, I bring important news," the messenger relayed, barely being able to breathe. His knees lowered him to the floor. "Please let me read this to you, your highness." Zhao curiously looked down at the frantic messenger while taking a bite out of cured pork. He glanced to Azula, who nodded.

"Okay, messenger. Tell me." Zhao sliced some fresh bread and placed some pork on it.

The messenger fumbled to unroll the parchment, and his eyes scanned the page rampantly. He recited shakily, "Sir Zhao, the Royal Guard would like to report that the giant lake has dried up. All the water is gone. Land is infertile throughout the country. If action is not taken immediately, tragedy is sure to strike." Zhao was already waving his hand dismissively.

"Messenger, that is old news to me. I found out about that damned lake yesterday while I was trying to take a bath. So what if the land is infertile? It's France's fault that they haven't found those blasted fugitives yet. Once they find them, I will work to return the country to its natural state." He took a vicious bite out of his bread. "And I'm getting quite tired of these idiotic 'Warning Reports.' Tell the Royal Guard that the next messenger that comes with a message similar to this one will be executed. Immediately." The messenger ducked his head once more and gulped nervously. His feet led him out of the room, his hands slamming the door behind him.

:;:;:;:;:;

"Papa, we have to stop getting hired by total jerks," Toph hissed. Aang and Katara snoozed to her left, sleeping peacefully in each other's embrace. Sokka sighed.

"I know, I know." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But what are we going to do?"

"We're trying to get involved with the community, why don't we go and look to see if there are any parties going on?"

"Parties?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Why would people have parties when they're starving?"

"Silly," Toph said, punching his arm lightly. "In every community, there's the poor people and the rich ones. If we get involved with the rich ones we'll be easily included. Especially if we can help out the poor ones too."

"I guess," Sokka conceded. "How are we going to find a party, though?" Toph smiled.

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

"Hi there!" Toph said sweetly, curtsying. She elbowed Sokka in the side, and he bowed. "I'm Madame Roca, and this is my husband. We're new in town," she said to the couple in front of her. They inclined their heads respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, Madame Roca," a middle-aged lady said, taking a sip out of her refreshment. Her dress was embroidered with ribbons and bows, lace was running up and down the dress, and frills were dancing along her hips. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a curly bunch atop her head. She gestured to her husband. "This is my husband, Jean-Paul. My name is Luna Nuage. When did you move here?"

"About three weeks ago," Toph lied, smiling. "It's such a wonderful little town!" Sokka's eyes wandered to a huge buffet of food laid out on the side of the room.

"Excuse me," he said curtly, breezing away to the food. Toph rolled her eyes, faking a slight blush.

"Sorry," she apologized, "my husband doesn't have the best control over his stomach." Madame Nuage laughed softly while her husband let out a few chuckles.

"It's quite alright, Madame Roca. You seem like a delightful couple. Who invited you to our party?" she asked.

Toph's stomach plummeted a few floors. "Uh... goodness," she said, her hand flying up to brush her hair behind her ear. "I feel so bad... I... I..."

"What is it?" she inquired, tilting her head ever-so-slightly to the side.

"Well... I only met her briefly... I can't... remember her name!" Toph covered, hoping it wouldn't come off as disrespectful. Her fingers intertwined and unwound themselves a few times, then turning their nervous attention to the hem on the side of her skirt. Madame Nuage looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Hmm... well... did you talk to... Madame Dupain? The baker's wife?"

"I don't... think so..." Toph said slowly, glancing nervously from side to side.

"How about Madame Delaviande, the butcher's- speak of the Avatar! Here she is!" Madame Nuage opened her arms wide to hug the butcher's wife, who was approaching with her husband.

"Bonjour, my friend!" Madame Delaviande said, her voice like fresh honey and cream. "I haven't seen you in a while! I was so glad when I heard you were having a party."

"Oh la la! I was sure to invite you! I haven't seen you and François in so long!" Madame Nuage nodded to the stocky, built man flanking Madame Delaviande. He inclined his head respectfully, his eyes wandering and resting on the buffet as well.

"Excusez-moi," he whispered to his wife, although it was slightly more audible than he was aiming for. He turned on a heel and blew straight to the buffet, right next to Sokka.

Toph was praying that Madame Nuage would forget about the topic of who invited them, and thankfully she did. Instead, as friend after friend of Madame Nuage arrived, the circle of chattering women grew and grew, as did the line of men at the buffet. The amount Toph talked shrank with each new addition to the group. Soon, people were just saying their greetings and picking up a conversation, completely ignoring her. She was starting to consider joining Sokka at the buffet when Madame Nuage decided to call all the attention back to herself.

"Hello, everyone! I'd like you all to introduce yourself to Madame Roca, who just moved here a few weeks ago with her family!" she gestured visibly to Toph, who began waving to everybody.

People began to introduce themselves, their spouses, their families. The first woman was in her mid-twenties.

"Bonjour! Je m'appelle Stephanie Avril, et bienvenue-"

"Uh, I don't speak French," Toph interrupted courteously, loud enough so everyone could hear. A few gasps sounded throughout the room.

"What? You don't speak French?" Madame Delaviande said curiously, making her way up to Toph. "Where did you move from?"

"Spain," said Toph quickly. "But my husband speaks French," she said, jerking her thumb behind her, towards the buffet. Sokka turned around, his mouth agape with dangling bits of meat and bread overflowing from his cheeks.

"What?" he said. "What about me?"

"You speak French, don't you, honey?" Toph said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Uh, yeah... What about it?"

"Well, I can't. I speak Spanish." Some ladies cooed at this new discovery.

"Wow! You speak Spanish, Madame Roca? That's amazing!" Toph pretended to be embarrassed.

"Aw, well, I _was _born and raised in Spain," she said, waving a hand back and forth dismissively. "It's not really a big deal."

"But you were attracted by ze French men, eh?" another woman said, bringing on an onslaught of giggles and snickers from the crowd. This time, Toph genuinely blushed.

"I guess," she said, playing with the hem on her dress. Squeals erupted out of the crowd.

"You're such a cute couple!" some women said, patting Toph on the shoulder. "We should have a party at your house sometime!" some others exclaimed.

"Yes!" Madame Nuage agreed. "We should certainly come visit you at your house sometime." She rallied the rest of the crowd to cheer in agreement.

"Why thank you," Toph said, curtseying one last time. "We will take you up on that offer. C'mon, attractive French man. Let's go home." She grabbed Sokka's sleeve and dragged him out the door.

.:.:.

HEE HEE HEE! Sokka is ze attractive French man! Hahaha... hope you liked the chapter! I'll update sooner or later. Probably around spring break. See you guys later!

~Momo


	30. Cave Party

Woot! 30th Chapter! This calls for a celebration, people! *dances to the left* *dances to the right* WOO! YEAH! *throws cyber-cookies in the air* yeah... Cool. Hope you likey!

Disclaimer: Ouais.

.:.:.:.

"WHAT THE HECK, TOPH?" Sokka shouted at her, her hair comically flapping behind her head from the volume of the outburst. She cringed slightly, but instead of backing down, she lathered a sheepish smile all over her face.

"Whaddaya mean? I didn't do anything!"

"WE LIVE IN A FRICKIN' CAVE. HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO HOST A PARTY? WE'LL BE FOUND OUT AND THEY'LL TURN US IN!" Sokka's face was beginning to bloom into a nice tomato color, as was Toph's. He stamped a foot into the ground. "You should have thought this through before you went parading around, inviting yourself to a party!"

Shaking her head, Toph said, "We can pull it off. I know we can." The way she said it, however, was as if she were trying to reassure herself. Right at that moment, Katara and Aang wheeled their cart into the cave. Splattered pieces of fruit dripped off the wheels, while fruit juice mixed with pulp slithered down the sides of the cart. Aang was covered in the remains of several different kinds of fruit.

"What happened to you?" Sokka asked, barely holding down his laughter. "Did you get attacked by a giant fruit monster?" He erupted in a fit of laughter at his own joke, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. The other three simply stood there, staring awkwardly at him.

"That wasn't even remotely funny," Toph pointed out flatly.

"Shut up. It was to me," Sokka retorted, dusting himself off awkwardly. "So... uh... what happened?"

"A bunch of kids came over, bought half of our fruit, and then threw it all at us," Katara said, a tinge of annoyance lacing her voice. She pulled a big piece of a melon out of her hair and tossed it aside.

"Well, at least they paid for it," Toph snipped. "If it were me, I would just have walked up to you guys and started throwing all your fruit."

"Thanks, Toph," Aang sighed, wiping himself off a bit. Chunks of fruit splattered into the ground. "I guess I'll go wash off," Aang said, turning and walking out of the cave. Katara's eyes flicked over to his retreating form, and she began to turn as well.

"I'm going too," she added, following quickly after him. Toph grinned the widest Sokka had ever seen her smile.

"I bet Océane's gonna go have a lot of fun," she remarked offhandedly, dropping to her back on the ground and relaxing. All of a sudden, it seemed as if Sokka had caught on fire instantaneously.

"WHERE IS THAT BOY GOING WITH MY DAUGHTER?" he hollered, marching double-time out of the cave. Toph snickered, staring at the cave ceiling. Her eyes brightened.

.:.:.:.

"Wow, Madame Roca... I wasn't exactly expecting... a cave," Madame Nuage said slowly, stepping through the mouth of the cave. She looked in wonder at the hundreds of candles lining the walls, brightening up the cavern. As more people filed in, distinct 'Ooh's' and 'Aah's' could be heard. Toph smiled, almost beaming.

"You like it? I admit it's a tad dank without the candles, but it's great as our summer home."

"Summer home? I thought you moved here!" one lady piped up from the crowd. Toph gulped nervously.

"Well, see..." she started, playing with the hem of her dress once again. "Uh..." Suddenly a strong, firm arm was around her shoulder.

"We had to move into our summer home," Sokka said, a slightly miffed look upon his face. "After an attack from some night robbers, our home was stripped of all its value. They were absolutely _awful_," Sokka said, clutching Toph's shoulder. He squeezed it. Looking slightly flustered now, Toph realized that was her cue.

"Oh abso_lutely_! Horrible people, those were!" she said, wiping her forehead dramatically. "We were all out at dinner with some family friends, and our house was completely demolished when we returned! Our cottage was reduced to rubble... and everything was looted, too!"

"But luckily we had our cave here," Sokka amended, smiling dashingly. "Otherwise we would have had no shelter for the longest time!" Most of the crowd began either agreeing with them wholeheartedly or erupting into small conversation. Madame Nuage clutched her heart as if that were the most heart-wrenching thing she had ever heard.

"Oh, you poor, poor people! I am so glad you came to Augustine for refuge!" She closed the distance between her and Toph and gave her a comforting hug. Toph looked slightly shocked, but awkwardly hugged her back. As soon as Madame Nuage pulled back, Toph had already plastered a thankful look on her face.

"Thank you so much for coming to our party," Toph said, smiling.

"Maman?"

All heads turned towards the source of the cute, teenage voice. Almost all hearts melted as soon as they saw Katara dressed in a floor-length frilly blue dress, hair updone into an intricate bun overflowing with braids. She was arm-in-arm with a gallantly dressed Aang, his hair haphazardly falling all over the place.

"Sont-ils les amis que vous avez mentionné , Madame?" Aang said, the French rolling off his tongue like the smoothest cream. Ladies cooed at the cute couple.

"Oui, ils sont," Sokka said quickly, knowing that Toph had no idea of what he just said. Toph, in return, poked Sokka as hard as she could.

"Excuse-ay m-_wah_," Toph drawled, her eyes narrowing, "but I cannot speak _le français. _Comprendéis? "

Sokka sighed, and clasped his hands. "Well, enjoy the party everyone!" A few people were snickering at the quarreling couple. Sokka rolled his eyes. This was going to be a _long_ night.

.:.:.:.:.

"Hello!" Katara turned around to face a sharply dressed man, no older than twenty. His eyes were dancing, a deep hazel. A smile played along his lips, and if he quirked them a little to the left then he'd be smirking. He looked her in the eyes curiously. "You look vaguely familiar. Have I met you before?" A blush flowered on her face.

"Uh-actually-well-" she stammered, "I don't think so!" Her stomach dropped a few floors when his hand flew up to cup her cheek.

"Aww, no need to bluuush!" he said, grinning. Katara began inwardly praying for Aang to come and save her. Her eyes flicked around a few times, but she couldn't find him at all. "If we'd met before, I'd certainly remember. If you don't remember and I don't remember, would this be love at first sight?"

She dearly wanted to say no, but she couldn't force her lips to do it. "Ummm... well... I'm... uhh..." The guy grinned again.

"It's okay. I'll back off. I see you're really embarrassed," he said, his smile getting wider by the second. "So, Mademoiselle, when did you move here?"

"A few weeks ago," Katara said, remembering that Toph told her to say that. "I haven't heard any news in a while, though."

"No news, huh?" the guy said, stroking his chin. "'Lemme see if I can come up with any..." He turned away in thought, tapping his chin. He walked away without saying another word.

All of a sudden, music began playing from the middle of the room. She and saw a variety of musicians, some playing on fiddles, others playing on small drums, two playing lutes, one playing a fanfare trumpet. They began playing a lively tune. A hand looped its way through the crook of Katara's elbow, and she looked up and blushed.

"I leave you alone for just two seconds and you're already attracting others," Aang whispered in her ear, slightly disproving but mostly mocking. He brushed his lips over her ear, and she shivered. Before she began anticipating more, pulled her into the center of the cave, grasping her hand and stepping into a waltz. She smiled up into his eyes, a blush still tinging her cheeks. He reached up with his thumb and brushed her lips softly; her eyes slid shut, and he smiled.

"Not yet," he said, smirking. Her eyes flew open just in time as he spun her around, gallantly stepping to the side as he twirled her around in a tight circle; she forced herself to bite back a yelp from surprise. Aang brought her back into position as other couples made their way onto the floor. The weird guy from earlier danced his way up to Katara and Aang.

A strange look was on his face. "I remembered some news," he said flatly, giving Aang a quick skank-eye. He redirected his gaze back to Katara.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously. Something seemed a bit off to her about this guy.

Pausing, he stopped his footwork and stood without moving. He showed Katara the gravest face she'd ever seen.

"Our King Hakoda is going to be executed."

.:.:.:.

~Momo


	31. Disappear

Hey peeps! Haven't written in a while and decided to continue teh storeh! XD Enjoyyyyy!~

Disclaimer: Yup.

.:.:.:.

Katara clutched her blue dress, her knuckles turning white as bitter, hot tears flowed freely down her face. The cart was bouncing up and down along the road, but the only noise present was from the rickety cart and the clopping of the horses' hooves. Aang's arms were tight around her waist, but although she would normally be comforted by his gesture, she was beginning to lose herself in her thoughts.

"Katara, everything's going to be okay," Sokka shouted from the front of the cart, after turning around and glancing at her tear-ridden face. "We're going to stop the execution before they can do anything to dad." He sounded firm, like he truly believed his words.

"But... It's all my f-fault-" Katara croaked, even more salty tears spilling down her cheeks. "If I hadn't run away, if I had stopped Zhao..."

Sokka opened his mouth to protest, but instead he fell silent. If he continued to argue with Katara while she was distressed, it could only end badly. He looked over his shoulder again into the cart. Toph was sleeping quietly for once, and Aang looked deeply troubled. Sighing and turning back to the reins in his hands, he snapped them and the horses picked up their pace slightly. The full moonlight was seeping in through the thick cover of the trees, flashing here and there. Sokka took one last glance back at Katara and shook his head. He tugged the reins to the right and then pulled back.

"Katara, we're gonna stop for the night. Alright? We're only a few miles from the border of the city."

Katara looked up, her eyes overflowing with tears. She replied shakily, "We leave as soon as possible tomorrow, okay?" Sokka nodded in affirmation.

"We'll just sleep in the cart, then?"

"Yes."

Sokka reclined in the front while Katara and Aang rested their heads on the wooden floor of the cart. Aang squeezed Katara for a moment, kissed her neck, and then whispered in her ear.

"Katara, everything will be fine, okay?" His eyes shined with worry. Katara turned her head to face him. Without a word, she kissed his nose, turned back, and laid her head back on the wood. Aang blushed for a moment (he didn't expect her to do that). He placed his arm around her waist and then drifted off to sleep.

,:,:,:,:,

He woke up and his arms were empty.

At first he didn't really think anything. He took note of the singing birds, the orange sky, the rustling branches and leaves. Then it hit him.

Aang sat up immediately, scouring the area around him for Katara. Nothing. He could still hear Sokka and Toph snoring in the front, but no Katara. He jumped soundlessly out of the cart, panic seeping into his very being, right down to his bones.

"KATARA!" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. No response. "KATARA!"

Aang propelled himself with his airbending and jumped to the front of the cart, shaking Sokka and Toph from their slumber.

"Guys! Katara's gone!" he said, completely freaking out at this point. "She's gone!"

"For some reason I've gots the déjà vu," Toph said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"Toph! This is serious!" Aang said, running his fingers through his hair. He took another couple glances around.

Sokka sat up in a panic. "Katara's gone?"

"Yes!"

"Well, we've heard this before, only with someone else," Toph said pointedly, shooting a small glare at Aang. "She probably just went to go get some water or something. Calm down, Twinkletoes. No need to get your knickers in a knot."

Aang took a few deep breaths and sat down. "You're probably right. She probably just went to get some water or something."

"Or something..." Sokka said suspiciously, rubbing his chin. He got down from the cart and tossed the horses a few apples. He then studied nearby trees, the ground, and the dirt road they were traveling down. His skilled eyes caught a few foot prints on the edge of the road right next to the cart, and they continued into the grass and into the woods.

"Here," he said simply, immediately following the footprints into the forest. Aang quickly followed, but Toph kicked her feet up on one of the horse's rears.

"I'm gonna stay here," Toph called. Sokka didn't reply.

Aang and Sokka followed the footprints through many trees, up a few hills and down a few others, until they finally reached a small river. It was no more than fifteen feet across, and it was about four feet deep.

"Check the other side for footprints," Sokka told Aang. "They stop here at the river." Aang nodded and bounded across the water, stopping at the edge of the other side of the river. No footprints were visible.

"There's nothing here, Sokka," Aang said, discouraged.

"Then I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do," Sokka said, shaking his head out of disappointment. "We can't find her if she walked in the river, and there's no other footprints in this area."

"So we're just going to leave her? We could search up and down the river for her-"

"Aang," Sokka said, motioning for him to come back to him. "Come here." Aang approached him and stopped, his feet still in the river.

"What?" he said, his eyes overcome with distress.

"My dad is going to die, Aang. It's quite obvious now that Zhao has taken over France and now everyone is doing his awful bidding. If he wants my father to die, all he has to do is snap his fingers and it's done. Katara is alive, I know it. She'll find her way back to us. It's better than when you disappeared, because we had no idea whether you died or you lived. With Katara, if someone tried to kidnap her while she was near _this_ much water, they would be dead. No doubt. I would very much rather save my dad and have Katara find her way back to us than spend all our time looking for her and leave my father to die. I really want to find Katara, don't get me wrong, but my father is the helpless one, not Katara."

Aang sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground. "But..."

"Aang, I know you love her," Sokka said exasperatedly, "but I love her too, I'm her brother! You have no idea how this decision tears me up inside, but I know I'm making the right one. Come on. Let's go back." Sokka turned and disappeared back into the forest. Aang bit his lip and followed.

As the two of them got back into the cart, a war horse and a masked rider blazed by them. They took no notice of him, but the rider did a double-take. As the small cart slowly faded from his sight, the masked rider grinned.

,;,;,;,;,;,;,;,

"Zuko, you're going to be back soon, right?" a lithe woman dressed in elegant black garments asked. Zuko brushed a few stray locks of hair out of her face.

"Of course, my love. I'm just going to the market to grab us some bread."

"But why don't we just ask the servants?"

"Stale bread," he whispered, laughing. Mai joined in on the laughter, and patted his back while he exited.

"Hurry back, Zuko."

"Ja, ja, my love." He closed the door behind him.

"I'd like your freshest loaf of bread," Zuko informed the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked up at him warily, inspecting his clothes with small, beady eyes. Without a word, the shopkeeper retreated behind a curtain and came back with a medium-sized loaf. The smell caused Zuko to salivate, thinking of how delicious the loaf would be. He salivated right up until the shopkeeper spoke.

"Twenty silver pieces."

Zuko coughed. "Excuse me?" he asked, bumping his chest with his fist. "_Twenty_?"

"Yes. Twenty." Zuko returned his wary look.

"Fifteen," Zuko said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Seventeen," the shopkeeper said slowly, keeping his eyes on Zuko's money bag tied to his sash.

"Thirteen," Zuko said, his eyelids dropping in annoyance.

The shopkeeper put on a shocked face and then quickly replied, "Fine, fifteen, fifteen!"

Zuko gave him a steady look, and then said, "Fourteen." The shopkeeper smacked the bread on the counter.

"FOURTEEN," he said sternly, folding his arms. He was done with the haggling. Zuko grinned and dropped fourteen silver pieces on the counter.

"That was all I had, actually," Zuko said happily, scooping the bread up with his arms and walking away. The shopkeeper scowled.

As he was approaching the castle, a masked figure passed by him.

"The Avatar is at the edge of the Augustan forest."

Zuko stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" he said, turning around to face the masked man. He could only smile.

"Hurry if you want to catch him."

Zuko turned and ran into the castle, calling for Mai.

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;

:D Hope you liked! Sorry if the end was kinda rushed... [gotta go have dinner with my dad :3] Happy Father's Day!

~Momo


	32. Ambushed

Hey guys! I'm back because, like, 5 people reviewed in a week and it's got mah spirit up and ready to type! :D So yeahhhhhhhhhh let's do this! *determined look*

DISCLAIMER: Bryke gets all the fun. *sad face*

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

"Let's stop for the night, guys."

"But we're almost there!"

"No, we a have a little more of a ways to go. We might as well stop."

"But the sun's just setting right now! We can keep on going until dark!"

"Well I think we should stop."

"Well _I_ think we should keep-"

"**SHUT UP**!" Toph shouted, silencing the two bickering young men. "Let's just stop so we can get enough sleep for tomorrow!" Sokka smiled victoriously and Aang hunched over in defeat.

"Damn," he said, knowing full well that he couldn't argue with Toph once she made up her mind. He crawled into the back of the cart, took his coat off, and set it down so he could rest his head on it. Toph and Sokka were grabbing blankets when Aang bolted to his feet.

"What the-" Toph started, but the look Aang gave her shut her up. He closed his eyes and listened for a moment, and his eyes flashed open as everything seemed to happen simultaneously.

Aang somersaulted backwards as six arrows thudded into the wood where his feet were seconds before. He jumped to the side as a seventh arrow whizzed by his face and thunked into one of the wheels; his eyes widened in terror as he saw the giant fireball headed directly for the front of the cart. He used all his might to throw himself in front of Sokka and Toph, blowing away most of the fireball with his airbending, but as soon as the fireball disappeared he crumpled to the ground.

"What the hell is happening?" Toph roared, jumping to the ground and running over to Aang. "What's wrong?"

"You can't see it but..." he started, gulping in pain, "I've burned my hands."

"Shi-" Toph started to say, but Sokka tackled her to the ground as six more arrows cut through the air. As the three of them looked up, Zuko was approaching them with hatred flickering across his face. Tree leaves rustled loudly and a figure landed quietly on the ground; Mai stood up and walked over to Zuko, entwining her hand with his.

"Good job, Mai," Zuko said, squeezing her hand. Mai looked away in embarrassment.

"But I missed all my shots..." she protested quietly.

"Avatar, we have caught you," Zuko said, taking a stance about ten feet away and pointing his fist directly at Aang.

Unnoticed by Zuko, Toph drew a circle in the ground and delved her hand into the center of the circle. Earth erupted from the ground, encasing Mai all the way up to her neck.

"What the hell do you want?" Toph said sternly as Zuko stumbled back in surprise. He looked over to his lover and a concerned look flashed through his eyes.

"I need to capture the Avatar so that I can return home safely and restore my hono-"

"Zuko, that doesn't matter right now," Aang cut him off quietly, causing everyone to look over curiously at him. His pained face craned itself up to meet Zuko's eyes. "You know Zhao. He came from Germany as your father's greatest general to live undercover in France as King Hakoda's adviser. He is pure evil, just like the cruel way your father doesn't regard you as his son anymore. You know this, Zuko, and yet you still worry about restoring your honor? How can you live with yourself knowing in your heart that things going on around you are wrong, and yet you don't do anything to change it?" Aang took a deep breath and sighed. "The love of my life is Princess Katara. _That_ you may already know. But her father, King Hakoda, has been wrongly accused of a crime and is now going to be executed. I will go with you willingly if you help us save her father."

"But Aang-!" Sokka protested.

"What are you thinking?" Toph said incredulously.

"Why the hell should I care about your girlfriend's fath-"

"He will help you without asking for your captivity as a reward," Mai said firmly. Zuko spun around in shock to look at his lover.

"What, Mai?" He looked completely dumbfounded. "Why would I do that?" She held his gaze steadily.

"You will help the Avatar without asking for his captivity as your reward."

"But that's insane! Why would I do that?"

"You need to learn to live in peace, Zuko," Mai reasoned, hoping he would understand. "If you always choose hatred for your reward, you will live your life in unrest. I don't want to be Queen of Retaliation or married to a man of revenge. The Avatar is one of the purest figures on this earth. Hatred never fuels his interests, and he always strives to keep the peace. You should be honored he is asking for your help, Zuko. He knows you don't trust him, he knows you strongly dislike him, heck, you just injured him and yet he still comes to you for help. And I know that your pride may hold you back from helping a supposed enemy, but you must remember that the real enemy is Zhao."

Zuko snapped his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, pacing back and forth. He knew in his gut that she was right (_She was _always_ right_, he thought with a sigh) but he couldn't imagine himself helping out his prey. He hung his head.

"Let her go. I'll help you, Avatar," Zuko said grudgingly, looking away. Toph kept her feet on the ground for a few seconds, monitoring his heartbeat to make sure he wasn't lying. After deciding that he wasn't, Toph slid her right foot away from her and the earth that was imprisoning Mai sank into the ground.

Mai curtsied, saying, "Thank you Avatar for honoring us with one of your requests." Zuko made a vomiting sound in his throat, and Mai elbowed him. "Hey, I know it's cheesy, but it's the best we can do since you've been chasing him around."

Zuko shook himself for a moment, and then whistled loudly. Two horses galloped up to them, stopping a few feet away from them. "It'll be faster on horseback," Zuko said, pulling himself up onto the back of one of the horses. Mai hoisted herself up onto the other horse.

Sokka nodded, turning and approaching the horses that were roped to the cart (which was now littered with arrows.) He cut all four of them free and walked three of them back over to where the rest of them stood. Toph climbed shakily on top of one, Aang on the second, and Sokka on the third. With the snap of Zuko's reins, the five of them galloped down the road at a furiously fast pace.

The forest whirled behind them, trees fading into green blurs and streaks. The dirt road surrendered under the speeding hooves of the horses, and the unforgiving, setting sun glowed down upon them. Zuko looked over to Mai and her determined face. Sighing, he looked ahead, deciding that he agreed with her. He didn't want to be "married to revenge," or whatever, he just wanted to rule his country in peace with the love of his life.

Aang winced as he tried to grip his reins tighter, shaking his hand and looking down at it briefly. It was then, while Aang was examining his badly burned hands, that he realized that he couldn't airbend.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Ooh snap! Sorry this chapter was kinda on the shorter side, guys, but I couldn't really think of anything else to pack into the chapter. Raise your hand if you wanna see what happened to Katara! Anybody, anybody? *crickets chirp* Umm... well yeah... heheheheheh... Just let me know in the reviews! Hope you liked the chapter!

OH and let me know if anybody seemed OOC, please! I'm trying to keep their personalities in tact but it's kind of tough sometimes. :/

~Momo


	33. Late

*crickets chirping*

Disclaimer: !em eus t'nod esaelP

.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.

As soon as they passed the border into Paris the streets were completely packed. People were streaming out of their houses to see the morbid spectacle; dirt-poor peasants to nobles to everyone in between. Butchers and bakers were side by side with farmers and some of the highest-ranked nobility, a sight so foreign that it would have been comical if not for the awful circumstances.

Surprised by the massive wave of people, Zuko, Mai, Aang, Sokka, and Toph had to quickly halt their horses before they trampled any unfortunate bystanders. They couldn't ride their horses any further so they dismounted and set the horses free in their haste.

Mai had quickly torn a good amount of cloth off her outer cloak and tied Aang's badly burned hands, murmuring her apologies when he winced. As soon as she had finished and Aang had thanked her sincerely, Zuko gave her a look sterner than he probably intended. Sighing at Zuko's not-yet full acceptance that they were helping his not-quite enemy, she rolled her eyes at him and squeezed his hand.

Weaving through the crowd was much tougher than any of them had anticipated. The crowd was so tightly packed that every time they had to pass someone they had to push very roughly, always receiving very, very dirty looks. Aang, being the kind of boy that he was, attempted to apologize to each and every single person whom he shoved; eventually Toph began to punch him squarely in the shoulder every time he did.

As they moved past one particularly filthy guy, he stopped them by saying, "What are you five in a rush for? You're just in the outskirts of the city and the execution will be held at the very center."

"That's where we're trying to go, but there's so damn many people!" Sokka said, getting slightly frustrated with panic.

"Well, I'd say for myself that you have a ways to go, but it will probably take place in less than an hour. I'd say you have more than an hour to go with this amount of people," the man speculated, resting a grubby finger on a gnarled beard. "Most of us don't even want King Hakoda gone; it would devastate Princess Katara if her blessed little heart would just hurry up and return from that blasted little vacation she went on."

Sokka, Toph, and Aang's faces lit up in recognition, realizing that everybody back in Paris was probably told that story. Aang's eyes darkened at the mention of Katara's name, however.

"You'd better hurry if you want to actually see it," the man continued, "most of us are just here so we can say that we were here when it happened."

"We're here to make sure that it _doesn't _happen," Aang said firmly, looking the man directly in the eyes. Right after he said it, he turned and shouldered the person in front of him out of the way, not even pausing to apologize.

.::::::::.:::::::::.

"His hands are bound, sir, as are his feet. He is in his finest clothing, as you requested. The carriage is waiting for both of your arrivals." The guard dropped to his knee, waiting for Zhao's response. When there was none, his eyes drifted up curiously. "Sir?"

"Go on ahead," Zhao said dismissively, his eyes looking off into the distance. "I will be in my carriage in a moment. I have to go check on someone before I depart." Zhao turned without another word and exited the room, leaving the guard to stare awkwardly after him.

He closed the door quietly behind him, looking over to the woman sitting provocatively on a purple velvet couch. She smiled simperingly, her red lips tinged with the wine she was drinking. Her silk garments were hanging loosely over her body, making it seem as if they were just falling off her body. Her messy dark brown hair fell wildly all over her face, and the look in her eyes was even wilder than her hair.

"Zhao." She said his name sweetly, twirling a curl of her hair seductively with her finger. "Why don't you come sit by me?" She patted the cushion next to her softly with her free hand, raising her other to bring her wine glass to her lips.

His breath caught in his throat, waves of desire washing upon him with an unrelenting onslaught. "A-Azula," he merely choked out, struck by the scene displayed before him, "what are you doing?" _This _was the _last _thing he would have expected to see; a possibly drunk Azula just waiting to (ahem). If he weren't so caught up in business, he for sure would have leapt at her the moment he made eye contact with her, but he had been so startled that his aggressive side had been shocked out of him. He didn't for a second want to refuse sitting by her, but he had an execution to perform. He had a life to end to start his own anew.

"I just want to spend some time with you before the execution," she said innocently, looking anything but. The strap that was barely holding the front of her dress up slid down her shoulder a few millimeters. Zhao's mouth immediately went very, very dry.

"The faster I get the execution over with, the faster we can spend some time together," Zhao managed to get past his lips. Azula suddenly looked disappointed, maybe even sad. "Don't get me wrong, I very much do want to spend some time with you. A _lot _of time," he said suggestively, shooting a quick grin at her. Azula, looking satisfied, pushed herself up from her cushion and sauntered up to him, hips swaying.

"Good, good, Zhao. I'm glad that you're putting this first so that we can be together later," she said, resting her elbows on his shoulders and weaving her fingers into his hair. Her face was so close to his that he could clearly smell the wine on her breath; he could almost taste it. Her front was so squashed up against him that he internally forbid himself from looking down below her face; if he did he surely would lose his last shred of self-control and delay the execution even more than it already was.

"I'm glad you agree," were the only words he could form into an understandable sentence.

"Yes," she said, her eyes becoming very heavily lidded. "Now, you're going to do two things. First, you're going to kiss me. Then you are going to get the hell out of my room and carry out the execution. Do you understand?"

Zhao knew that something was wrong in the smallest corner in the back of his mind, but it was very easy to ignore with Azula's full, plump, red lips so close to his. In less than a second he closed the gap between his mouth and hers.

As she deepened the kiss, he felt as if flames were lapping at his skin. Flames that radiated darkness, flames that radiated evil. He didn't dare open his eyes; he convinced himself that they were just part of what was fueling his desire. He wanted to touch her more, taste her more, but all too quickly she pulled away.

As she stepped away from him, she eyed him up and down as if he were modelling the newest fashion styles. She smiled approvingly, and then abruptly glared at him.

"Get the hell out of here. Now. You have a former king to kill."

Zhao's feet carried him out of the room as fast as humanely possible.

As he wandered absentmindedly down the hall, trying to calm himself of the qualms of desire he felt whenever he re-imagined Azula's half-drunken figure, he passed by several mirrors. After the first few, he felt that something was wrong but couldn't point out quite what. Deciding that something was wrong, he stopped himself at the next mirror and looked himself over.

Instead of the normal French admiral uniform he enjoyed wearing, he was dressed in a black suit as dark as a panther's coat. Small frills of blood red lace made themselves present on his cuffs and around his collar, but the lace was at a very thin minimum. His hands were gloved as usual, but the gloves were a startlingly pure scarlet. Around his waist was a jet-black strip of leather supporting various pockets and such. As he explored the pockets further, he found containers of acid and poisons and the like. He found a satin pouch filled with a mysterious black powder; when he sprinkled the smallest amount onto the marble floor curiously, the specks began to melt and burn through the floor. The smallest smile formed itself onto his lips.

His next discovery pleased him as much as it frightened him that he didn't notice it before. The rapier that normally hung from his side was replaced with a long, sinister broadsword. Its hilt was encrusted with numerous rubies, and under all of the precious jewels the black metal could be barely glimpsed. The blade looked like it was laced with the black powder that had entertained him earlier; his grin widened into a formidable one.

Turning away from the mirror and heading outside to his carriage, his stomach clenched at the last thing he noticed. His eyes had become a dark, simmering red.

.:::::.:::::.:::::.:::::.

Aang pushed himself through one last person and he could finally glimpse the top of the stage that displayed the awful guillotine; he was still a bit of a ways off, but at least he could see what was happening now. He didn't see anybody standing up on top of the stage, which was a good sign. To his left he could hear Toph bickering with Sokka.

"Just let me do it! C'mon!" Toph had been pestering Sokka for the past few minutes; she wanted to send a huge wave of earth up to the platform, effectively shattering the guillotine so that Hakoda couldn't be executed. Sokka had shot that one down for a few reasons-

"You could miss and hurt someone, you could accidentally kill someone, and even if the guillotine is gone they could still execute him another way," Sokka said for the hundredth time, completely exasperated at this point. Mai and Zuko had remained silent the entire time, and were flanking Aang's right side.

As they shoved past the next row of people, Aang's stomach dropped as he saw Zhao step up onto the stage in a very dark suit. Red accented his hands and his neck, and he could have sworn that it tinted his eyes. A brutal-looking sword swung firmly back and forth from his waist, and his hips displayed a rather large leather belt with many pockets. An executioner stepped up behind him, fully clothed in jet-black robes. Everyone gasped as Hakoda staggered up the stairs.

He was dressed in his finest garments; royal purple descended from his back in a cape, his shirt was a distinct powder blue with layer upon layer of silk and lace. His pants were a beautiful emerald green, and adorned atop his head was the royal crown, which displayed dozens and dozens of glittering, precious jewels atop a pure gold headpiece. His hands were tightly bound behind his back.

But his face.

Aang's heart felt as if it were going to break. His face displayed the purest sadness, utter loss, and extreme devastation. Aang didn't think he had ever seen someone so utterly broken, so destroyed inside that he felt the instantaneous need to comfort him, to cry out that everything was going to be okay.

The words that left Zhao's lips didn't reach Aang's ears. They floated quietly by, not having any impact on anything Aang was thinking. All he could think about was how awfully King Hakoda was feeling.

And then reality dropped back into Aang's brain as Zhao said, "And for that, your King, King Hakoda, must die."

Aang then felt as if everything were in slow motion. Zhao nodded to the executioner, a grim but somehow cheerful smile splayed across his face. The executioner, although his face was shielded by his mask, took in an audible and visual breath and gripped the lever of the guillotine.

Suddenly everything was thrown into fast-motion. Aang, although he couldn't do anything with his hands, mustered all the power he could into his feet. He gathered all his airbending strength into his legs and then propelled himself into the air, directly at the guillotine.

King Hakoda didn't hear Aang do this. All he heard was the executioner grip the lever a few feet from his head. King Hakoda closed his eyes, fear gripping his entire being.

Aang fell a few feet short of the guillotine as the executioner let out his breath audibly and visually once more. He couldn't help thinking, _I've failed Katara. I failed her._

The executioner pulled the lever with a sickening squeak of metal.

The gigantic blade, freed from its mechanical confines, succumbed to the allure of gravity and began to free-fall down towards Hakoda's bared neck.

And ice, bulleting out of nowhere, pierced the metal blade with a cracking shriek and shattered the metal into a million pieces.

...:::::::::::::::::::::...

~Momo


	34. Moonlight, Part 1

Sup! *throws down 50 peace signs and faux-gangsta signs* Momo in da HAUSSSSS. This chapter details just what the heck happened to Katara.

**[A/N] OKAY GUYS MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS:** You know Katara's horse, Ash? I redid some of the beginning chapters [I'm _going _to redo _most _of the chapters, not all, but basically everything up to the timeskip (CH 18) and a few after that.] So far, all I have redone is Ch 1 and 2, working on 3. Read them only if you want, but they're wayyyyy better than what I had before. ANYWAYSSSS I wanted to let all of you that have me on Author Alert or POI Alert that **I CHANGED ASH'S NAME**. **HIS NAME IS NOW APPA**. (lol, ikr?) I will probably change a few names throughout the story to follow ATLA a bit more [Prime game for name changes: Mrs Omanito (nobody probably remembers her, anyways) some of the apprentice names that were only mentioned in that chapter (XD no big deal). I won't change anyone's name in Augustine because they were all random French-ish people.] Sorry this a/n was kinda long, but in my opinion, it was important! :O so yes! Continue reading!

Disclaimer: ...Yes.

.:::::::::::::::::::::.

She felt his warm arm around him first as she felt the nightmares recede from her body. She gripped it with one of her hands, making Aang her tether to the earth, her anchor. As she collected herself, firmly telling herself that the nightmares she had recently witnessed weren't real, she looked up into the bright moon and stars contrasting with the dark midnight sky. Sighing and leaning into Aang, Katara let tears silently slip from her eyes. Her father, her poor, poor father, was going to be executed. They probably weren't going to make it in time. Instead of continuing on through the night, as Katara would have liked, Sokka had stopped them from continuing further. It didn't make sense to her, for Sokka was just as concerned about saving their dad as she was. Then the thought of her father's inevitable death dropped upon Katara's chest like a great, iron weight, smothering her and filling her with fear, paralyzing her body with panic.

_Both of my parents will be dead_, was the thought drifting through her head. _And I'm not even 20 years old yet_. Suppressing a shudder with great difficulty, Katara instead let a great, wracking sob release itself from her throat, a few wayside tears slithering down her cheeks. Regaining herself, she softly removed herself from Aang's sleeping embrace and stood, steadying herself with the side of the cart. She looked up into the moon and closed her eyes, soaking in the comfort of the moon's milky rays.

Her breathing slowed considerably, as did her erratic heartbeat. After standing there for a few more minutes, she knew that she had to get to some water and bend for a while. That would relax her considerably, maybe even allowing her to come up with a solution to this immense mess that had cluttered her mind.

Silently hopping down from the cart, she let her instincts lead her through the forest, passing gigantic trees and beautiful plants, breathtakingly lit up by the moonlight. After strolling for a while, she finally came upon a slow-flowing, bubbling river. It wasn't a giant river; it was more of a large creek, to be exact. She slid off her shoes and her clothes, leaving herself only clad in her stark-white undergarments. She dipped her toes into the river, pleased that it wasn't too cold. Katara stepped into the water, delighting in the fact that the streaming flow swirled all the way up to her waist.

Naturally, as if she had been doing it since she was born, Katara lifted her fingers and plucked a ribbon of water up from the flowing liquid. It danced around her fingertips and arms, swirling above her head, twirling around her body. It flashed beams of moonlight in every direction, lighting up Katara's delighted expression. Gradually she added water to the thin ribbon, increasing its size from a thin string to about a barrel-full of water. It slithered through the air, twisting and churning upon itself as it continued its flight. Katara's hands swayed back and forth as she led the water, and when she was finished, she waved her fingers back towards the water. The stream of water disappeared into the river.

She washed her face in the river before getting out, silently thanking the moon and the water for helping her to become calm once more. She kept the execution safely out of her mind, deciding that she would think on it the following morning. Katara put her clothes back on and turned to leave the wonderful river.

And that's when she saw it.

Out of the corner of her eye, something foreign glittered as she turned her head. Doing a double-take, she whipped her head back around so she could focus on it properly. A single, silvery-white strand of hair was settled on a rock in the center of the river. Her heart stopped as she realized what it probably was.

Not caring that her clothes were getting soaked, she jumped into the river and sloshed over to the strand of hair. Picking it up, she affirmed her suspicion while her heart fluttered with excitement. Wildly looking around for more of the silvery hair, she spotted some more on a rock further down the river.

Rock after rock, hair after hair, Katara breathlessly continued down the river, the amount of hairs in her hand multiplying quickly. Then, suddenly, doubt entered her mind.

_What if he's hurt? What if someone just put his hair on these rocks to lead me down the river and capture me? What if..._

She had reached the end of the river. It pooled into a pond that was littered with flowers and beautiful, slow-swimming fish that were floating in tranquil circles. In the center of the pond there was an upraised area of land, and sitting upon it was Appa. Katara's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.

"Appa," she breathed, reaching her fingers out to him in awe, as if she weren't really sure if he was there or not. Appa turned his great head, his mane swishing about his neck, and caught her gaze. Immediately he was attempting to stand up, putting his hooves unsteadily on the ground, trying to push himself to his feet. Instantly he let out a neigh in pain, toppling back to the ground.

A cloaked woman bolted upright, hushing and calming the horse, stroking his mane, offering him some mysterious liquid from a glass flask. As it washed down Appa's throat, he sleepily rested his head on the ground and slept. Katara's voice finally returned to her after the initial shock from what she just witnessed.

"Wh-who are you?" Katara's voice was uncertain and unsteady. The water suddenly felt too cold to be comfortable as fear rose in her throat. Could this lady be the one who kept her horse away from her? Could she be an accomplice of the evil merchant that took him away?

"Darling, darling, don't be afraid, I know you've missed Appa dearly this entire time he's been away." The voice of the woman soothed Katara's fears with that simple sentence, making Katara sputter in surprise.

"Marie Isabelle? Why are you here? How-? What-?"

"My darling Princess Katara, you need not worry about hows and whats, you need only to come here to your old Head Maid." Marie Isabelle smiled warmly, opening her arms wide in a welcoming gesture. Katara quickly made her way over to her, climbing up onto the island and sliding -quite soaked- into Marie Isabelle's embrace.

"I missed you, Madame," Katara said, hugging her tightly. "Why did you leave the castle?"

"My little princess, after your mother died, all hell broke loose," Marie Isabelle said calmly. "After her passing, Adviser Zhao came on the rise and began dictating this and that, maids and butlers and servants had no say in _anything _anymore. And although you did your best ruling the country for those 100 days your father was locked away in his room, Zhao lurked behind in the shadows, waiting for you to be gone. You were the only one with enough power in the castle to put him in his place." Marie Isabelle shook her head. "Now he has spiraled out of control. Namely, he is trying desperately to kill your beloved father."

Tears unexpectedly sprung into Katara's eyes. _I really am crying too much lately_, she thought, suddenly deeply annoyed. "That's... that's why I'm here. To save my father."

Marie Isabelle brushed a stray strand of hair away from Katara's concerned eyes. "Mon petit amour, don't be discouraged that all seems lost. It's only then that you can find what's truly there in your heart." She took one of Katara's hands in hers and placed it over Katara's heart. "You feel that beating in there? It's beating for your father, it's beating for your brother, and it very well much is beating for your mother, but most of all, my little princess, it's beating for your country."

Katara looked into her eyes with a mixture of emotions, the most profound being confusion. "It can't be my country anymore. I left all those people behind to feel Zhao's wrath." She glanced coldly to the shadows of the forest. "In the beginning, I left my father on his own, distraught because I didn't leave him anything about my location or my wellbeing. I foolishly left my horse to be stolen. I gave up on my love, Aang, when he was gone, and I believed the lies he was forced to write me. My father's going to be executed because I didn't speak up for him, Zhao has taken this country and thrown it into famine... and... and...! Marie Isabelle, I can't rule this country! All of the mistakes, all of the awful things that I've done over the past few years, they can't be forgiven! I can't do anything anymore!"

Instead of consoling Katara even more, instead of reassuring her with meaningless words or reasoning with her, all Marie Isabelle could do is smile. She gazed lovingly at Katara, looking at her as if she were her own daughter.

"Are you just going to look at me?" Katara cried indignantly, her voice rising incredulously. "Is that all you're going to do? I'm a horrible failure! I shouldn't be allowed to even-"

Marie Isabelle silenced her with a raised hand, and cleared her throat loudly. After glancing at Katara for one last moment, Marie Isabelle did one thing that Katara would remember for the rest of her life.

She began to sing.

_"The Princess of Ice, la fille de la glace, sings from her balcony, counts her heartcracks: one for the family, one for her pet, one for her lover, one she won't forget, one for her silence, one for the bad, one for the Famine, you'd think she'd been had! Though she is pretty, though she is belle, La Fille de la Glace can't help but think she's in hell. But 'Lo! Here is her lover, here comes her father! The heartcracks gone, and so is the famine, The Princess of Ice, our savior, none other!_"

Katara found herself speechless, a feeling of shock dropping through her stomach. "Marie Isabelle... you really think that... I'm the-"

"I don't just think it, my dear, I _know_." Marie Isabelle stroked Appa's mane while he slept. "Not only have your experiences of the past few years been right on track, I don't think that anybody as beautiful as you has walked this earth." She nudged Katara to take a look at her reflection in the pond. Leaning over to look into the moonlit water, Katara gasped.

"This... can't be me," she said slowly, disbelievingly. "I'm nowhere near this pretty! It must be a trick!"

"When was the last time you looked in a mirror, darling?"

Katara thought hard. "A few years ago."

"There you go, my little princess. Your- what's his name? Aang? I'd say he's the luckiest man on earth," Marie Isabelle said, winking.

"Or the man with the worst luck on earth," Katara muttered, thinking back to how she had just left him in the cart without even thinking about taking him with her to go waterbending.

"You may have made mistakes in the past, my dear, but look to the future. Everything up until now is irrelevant whilst your father is in Zhao's captivity, waiting to die. You may not be able to rewrite your past, but if you're busy thinking about how you wrote it wrong, you won't have time to write a beautiful future, my lady."

Katara thought on this for a few moments, letting the words sink in. She _knew _in her heart of hearts that Marie Isabelle was right, but she didn't think she deserved to be the Princess of Ice after all the horrible mistakes she made. She became lost in thought, staring down at herself in the pool of water, looking at the beautiful stranger staring back at her.

"I can see that you can't quite accept this yet, my little princess," Marie Isabelle pointed out, "but you haven't much time." She gestured to Appa's sleeping form. "When he was stolen from you, he was injured by his abductor. He limped through the countryside, all alone until I found him. I believe that one of the muscles in two of his legs were badly injured." She eyed Katara curiously. "Can you waterbend?"

Katara opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She remembered with frightening clarity about how she never told anyone, anyone at all, about her ability. Not even her mother.

"Yes, yes I can!" she said, her voice breathless and desperate, "But I never told anyone! Not even my own mom!" Marie Isabelle steadily put a hand on her shoulder.

"It will be okay. Sometimes waterbenders can have the innate ability to heal." She gestured once more to Appa. "Do you think you want to try?"

The thought of waterbending suddenly seemed very intimidating. All outside noise stopped and silenced as Katara crept up to Appa, who was sleeping quite sloppily; his legs were splayed out to the side, his head resting awkwardly on the ground.

The two front legs were obviously damaged, bruises showing quite clearly all over; his front right leg was clearly broken, causing pity to well up in Katara's throat. Drying lacerations and scrapes littered his body, a long, huge line of blood oozed all the way across the left side of his body. His mane looked as silky as ever, but red stains of blood marred its beauty. Thought of someone doing this to _her _Appa, her _mom's _Appa, filled her with a simmering anger that dissipated as she willed herself to get ready for what she was about to do.

Taking a great many deep breaths and closing her eyes, she summoned all of the willpower in the world and called the water surrounding her to her fingertips. Opening her eyes, she found gallons and gallons of water encasing her arms and fingertips, ready to be sent at her command. Glancing over to Marie Isabelle, whose face was drawn up in awe and admiration, she smiled uncertainly and turned back to Appa's injuries. Letting instinct take control, she stretched her arms over Appa in a blessing motion, water sliding down her biceps, over her forearms, and slipping away from her fingertips, engulfing Appa in a great blob of water. She closed her eyes firmly, clenching her jaw and throwing all the feelings of wellbeing and health in her mind in front of her.

She opened her eyes after the splash of water indicated that she had dropped it, and her stomach plummeted at the sight of a still injured- and now soaked- Appa. Katara turned hopelessly to Marie Isabelle, who shook her head.

"There was no love in that. Healing isn't about just convalescence, it's also about the healing of the wounds in the heart. You need to _love_, Katara. Healing only happens with love."

Turning back to Appa, Katara nodded solemnly, looking at her drenched horse. She ran a finger along the edge of one of his hooves, drawing a deep, calming breath. Right. Love. The only emotion that had always persistently messed with her.

Keeping her hands connected to Appa's legs, this time Katara closed her eyes and called water to her silently. Keeping her eyes shut, she thought of her mother's warm, tight hugs, the kisses she would always place on her cheek, the sweet little nothings she would whisper to her while little Katara was falling asleep. She thought of her father's short but loving hugs, the kisses he would deliver to the crown of her head, the gaze that would brighten whenever he saw her.

Then she thought of Aang. She felt her heart beat faster just at the thought of him, laughing, smiling, kissing her. She thought of how protected she felt whenever he was around, the bashful, sheepish, embarrassed look that surfaced on his face whenever she kissed him unexpectedly. She thought of how just his embrace could convince her that everything was going to be alright.

She felt the love of everyone surround her, fill her with power, fill her with a breath of life and healing. She exhaled and felt all of the power exit through her fingers, like a tide pulling slowly away from the sand of a beach. Opening her eyes, she saw a faint blue glow recede from Appa's form, and let out a shocked gasp. He was completely healed! All cuts and bruises were cleaned away from his pure white form, and his broken leg had mended and seemed as good as new. His mane had been cleansed, and all past evidence of maiming had disappeared. In awe, she looked over to Marie Isabelle, who was smiling so wide it looked as if her face would burst with happiness.

"I knew it, mon petit amour, you are amazing!" She gave Katara a big hug, patting her on the back. "Now your horse has returned to his original state, my love. Now, I know what you need to do to save your father."

Katara's eyes widened. "You do?"

"Yes." Marie Isabelle rummaged through the various pockets in her cloak, and withdrew a small vial. Its stopper was a beautiful blue orb that glistened in the moonlight. Its contents were a shimmering oceanic blue, glittering and glowing. "Take Appa out of here and into the forest. Head straight that way-" she motioned behind her, "until you reach a clearing. Leave Appa in the shadows of the forest and walk alone into the center of the clearing. Once in the center, pull the stopper of the vial and waterbend its contents into the air. Stretch it out as thin and wide as possible so it can collect a maximum amount of moonlight; after that, you will be on your own."

"On my own?" Katara said aloud, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Not completely alone, my little princess, you will see." With that, Marie Isabelle rubbed a section of Appa's ear. He awoke from his sleep, and upon seeing Katara, he eagerly stood.

"But-wait! What do you mean about-"

"Sometimes, my darling, you have to just find out." Marie Isabelle hoisted Katara up onto her horse and then waved. "I wish I could tell you more, but then I wouldn't exactly be helping you. I wish you well and I hope you save your father," Marie Isabelle said, her eyes shining.

"I do too, and thank you, Madame!" Katara leaned over and kissed Marie Isabelle on the forehead. "I hope we see each other again sometime!" She turned Appa around and rode him through the pond and into the darkening forest, trying to mentally prepare herself for the impossible feat she was about to try to accomplish.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

YEAH! TOOK ME SOOOOO LONG TO WRITE THIS! *bursts into tears* it's almost over, guys! Hope you'll bear with me in the final chapters! :D

~Momo


	35. Moonlight, Part 2

Hey guys! Just for clarification, the Katara part will be divided into two parts, Moonlight Part 1 and Moonlight Part 2 (which is this chapter) There was some confusion about why I didn't reveal where the ice came from in _Late_, but that will be revealed in this chapter, mmmkay? Enjoy these final chapters! :3

.:.:.:.;.;.:.:.:.

_Clip clop clip clop_

Appa's hooves thudding against the lush undergrowth in the forest was the only sound in the silent night_. _Every so often, a branch would snap or Appa would crush a rock or two under his slow gait. Katara sat atop him with baited breath, still waiting for the clearing of which Marie Isabelle spoke. Glancing down to the blue vial clenched between her fingers, she sighed and set her eyes straight ahead.

Minutes passed, and finally she could see greatly concentrated moonbeams through a gap in the trees up ahead. Slowing Appa to a halt, she cooed to him to stay behind the trees and to not venture into the bright moonlight ahead. Gazing at her with his big horse eyes, Appa nudged her face with his muzzle, warming her heart and calming her nerves.

"I'll be back in a sec, buddy," she said softly, stroking his mane before turning to exit the forest. Cautiously she surveyed the area, slowly being filled with wonder as she stepped into a perfect circle of short, meadow-like grass. Looking up to the vast array of stars and the giant white orb overhead, she smiled at the moon and bowed, pulling the stopper from the vial and waterbending its contents from it.

It had a very thick viscosity, and as it swirled up into the air, Katara was having a hard time spreading it out to the thinness that her old maid had described. After tugging with her fingers for what seemed like an eternity, she managed to widen the liquid out to a huge net, no more then a few millimeters thin. Holding it there came with great difficulty; the liquid seemed so elastic, trying constantly to revert to its former surface area. Sweat began forming on her brow as her fingers stretched and strained, trying her hardest to make sure that the liquid stayed put.

Suddenly, the most curious thing began to happen. The moonbeams shining down upon the liquid began to sparkle as they made contact, and slowly the blue, glittering substance began to glow. The liquid became easier to control, and Katara's fingers relaxed as it glowed brighter and brighter, its color quickly approaching white.

All at once, as soon the glowing reached a blinding intensity, the liquid froze with a crack and shattered, sending wisps of smoke and mist into the air. Katara gasped and stumbled backwards, completely taken by surprise. The smoke and mist billowed around for mere seconds before lighting up again, swirling upon itself in dizzying circles before a form began to take shape.

Katara looked up into the sky as a star fell from the heavens, its light becoming blinding as it approached the poor, frightened girl. Letting out a scream and turning to run away before she was crushed by the fiery light, the star collided with the form of mist and smoke, sending sparks and stardust scattering in all directions, showering the ground in glimmering little specks of light. The force of the impact knocked Katara to the ground, and in her utter fear, she looked up to the smoke and light before her.

The translucent body of a woman swirled up from the smoke, looking as if a ghost or spirit had decided to visit. The ghostly woman pushed herself up out of the dissipating mist, her transparent feet hitting the ground with the softest of thuds. Her head began to form, as did her long, hip-length hair. Her arms sprouted from her shoulders as Katara watched, completely in shock. Her elaborate gown wove itself around her bare form, her eyes faded into view, as did the rest of her face. The last thing that made itself visible was her necklace, along with her crown.

The strikingly beautiful woman gazed down at Katara with the utmost love upon her face, her hands clasped together, a smile playing across her lips. At that moment, Katara's heart stopped, and she did the only remotely possible thing she could do.

She burst into tears.

"Oh _mon Dieu_," Katara whispered, covering her eyes with her hands as she buried her face into the ground. "I must be dreaming." Even whispered, her voice was extremely thick with tears. She felt from the ground that the woman was walking over to her. She felt her stop right in front of her and kneel down. She felt a hand run through her tangled hair.

"My daughter." The voice was soft and beautiful, sounding as though it was plucked along strings from the most beautiful viola. It sounded like chimes and twinkling stars were woven into those vocal chords, and as the woman spoke those two decidedly simple words, nostalgia and sadness cut through Katara like a sword.

"Mother," she blubbered, looking up, tears overflowing from her eyelids and pouring down her face. "I missed you so much!" She cried, leaping at her mother and burying herself in her hug.

For the next eternity, Katara wanted to stay in her mother's arms, bawling her eyes out, clinging to her spiritual form as if the sun would never again rise. She wanted to feel her petite hand stroking her back soothingly as tears slipped silently down her mother's face, the reunion lasting as long as the moon would smile down upon them. However, knowing that would never be the case, Katara desperately tried to calm her tears, tried to pull back and ask her mother every conceivable question possible.

"My love, I have missed you so," her mother said softly, the tears dropping like little falling stars from her eyes. "Every day, watching over you from above, has made for extremely happy and sad days."

"Mother," Katara repeated softly, cursing her racing heart and her still-overflowing eyes. She blinked away the tears only for more to take their place.

Wordlessly, Katara's mother brushed the tears away from her face with a tender thumb. "I have missed you, your father, and your brother extremely. Every passing minute breaks my heart even more so."

"Don't hurt, maman," Katara said gently, regaining control over her voice, "we will never forget you. We miss you more every day."

Pulling Katara into one more hug, her mother eventually stood up and began to pace. "Zhao cannot be forgiven for his actions. My love, Hakoda, must be saved."

"I know _that_, Mother," she replied, kind of put off at the change of subject; she was embraced by familiarity, however, because she remembered how her mom could never stand the way that Zhao treated her husband. "But how do we do it?"

Giving Katara a wry smile, she said, "You, my daughter, are the one that must put a stop to the situation. I can only speak with you in dreams after this; Marie Isabelle harvested the last of the lunefleur nectar in France for you to speak to me at this moment."

"Lunefleur nectar?"

"Waterbenders in France a few hundred years ago discovered that the precious lunefleur, now sadly extinct, produced a nectar that, when combined with a high intensity of moonbeams, allowed them to communicate with deceased loved ones," her mother explained. "After over-harvesting and abuse of the nectar, only one lunefleur remained in a very remote location. I came to Marie Isabelle in a dream and begged her to retrieve it for you. Thanks to the nectar, we have enough time to talk until the sun rises, but sadly, you must get to Paris as soon as possible to stop the execution."

Katara exasperatedly threw her arms into the air. "I can't do it! There is no possible way that I could stop Zhao and his army! I would need your help, mother!"

Sighing, and running her fingers through her hip-length locks of hair, the former Queen thought hard. "If my husband and my children are in danger, I will sacrifice to help them, even in death." Katara stepped backwards, shocked.

"Sacrifice what, mother?"

"Please hand me the empty vial, Katara. Make sure the stopper is on top." With a shaking hand, Katara lifted it to her mother's steady, glittering, translucent one. Taking it and pulling the blue stopper off, she reached behind her and lifted her mass of hair with her forearm. Sweeping the vial in front of her hair, a great amount of her dark locks shimmered and pooled in the vial. Letting the hair go and swish behind her again, her hair was considerably shorter, falling only down past her shoulders. Inside the vial was a glimmering mist, and the former Queen capped it off with the stopper.

She then lifted her hand into the sky, flexing her fingers and pulling down an invisible cord. She repeated the action many, many times, until a visible blob of light began descending from the heavens. As it approached the earth, Katara simply stared at it in awe, watching it float slowly down. She had no idea her mom could do this, even in death.

"Wha-?" Katara started, awestruck, when her mother seeming bended the light into the vial, mixing with the mist of her spectral hair.

"Liquid light," was all her mother said, and Katara knew she need not inquire further. They were dealing with things that simply could not be explained.

Finally, the blue orb of light that sat atop the stopper of the vial was crushed between her mother's fingers, the dust and shards sprinkled into the mixture of light and mist. Deftly pushing the stopper back in for the umpteenth time, her mother shook the vial twice, inverted it twice, and then shook it some more. The contents changed color multiple times before settling on an oceanic blue. Finally, when the mixture had taken on a soft glow, her mother removed the stopper and discarded it. She waterbended the contents out, shocking Katara.

"You're a waterbender?"

After a bout of silence, Katara's mother chuckled. "You are one as well, my daughter." Katara blushed.

"How did you know? I... I n-never told y-you," she stammered guiltily, her heart sinking.

"I've known since the day you were born," her mother said softly, smiling down at her. "I was the prized waterbender of the land until I was married to your father, and then my abilities were hidden from the public; there was fear that a bender in the place of Queen would try to overthrow her husband. Hakoda didn't mind," she mused, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She ended the talking there, swirling the glowing mixture around in the air.

"Now Katara, you need to hold still. It may sting or hurt a little, but try not to move." Katara nodded, setting her jaw and taking a deep breath. "I have no control over what it will look like, but I can only imagine that it will look magnificent."

"Huh?" Katara asked reflexively, before the floating liquid was attracted to her like a magnet. She let out a yelp as the mixture burned her skin with frost; it entwined with skin, her old clothes freezing, shattering, and falling from her body, being replaced by the strange blue substance. Everywhere it touched felt like had been frostbitten, but all at once, she was hit with a wave of overwhelming pleasure. The liquid warmed up considerably, then blossomed into frills, cloth, and velvet. She felt her skin absorb the rest of the blue liquid, feeling it invigorate her right down to her bones. She let out a gasp as her skin took on a very raw feeling, as if she had just stripped a layer of skin away.

Her eyes snapped up to her mother, and then back down to herself. She was covered in a breathtaking gown, cut very deliciously at the top, hugging her torso tighter than a corset, then flowering out into an extremely wide and beautiful gown. Frills and lace and ribbons galore, sparkling diamonds twinkling, ice-colored gloves caressing her forearms and fingertips. She was taken by surprise, however; although beauty was taken normally at the cost of comfort, this was the most comfortable outfit that had ever wrapped itself around her body. It was constructed perfectly, right down to the last stitch. And it was probably the most beautiful dress ever made.

That was not all, though. Her hair had lengthened considerably, and was now littered with blue and white streaks; ice had claimed her as its own. The shoes upon her feet, although she couldn't see them through her floorlength dress, felt as if they conformed to the exact arch and size of her foot.

"Maman," she said, her voice shaking, "you didn't have to..."

Approaching her and embracing her warmly, she said, "You are the most beautiful girl I could have ever imagined to have. Yes I did, my little Princess of Ice. Yes I did. Now go kick Zhao's ass."

Laughing and stepping away from her mother, Katara's eyes lit up with love and tears.

"I will miss you, maman," she whispered, clutching at her heart. Her mother reached up and caressed her cheek for the last time. Her eyes were full of love, sorrow, and sadness.

"I will miss you too, my little darling." Her mother's voice was thick with tears. With that, she stepped backwards, her body dissolving into mist and sparkling light.

"I love you!" Katara cried at the dissipating smoke, watching in despair as her mother faded for the last time.

"I love you, Katara," a whispered breeze flooded her ears as the mist twinkled away. As the last furl of smoke disappeared, a single white seed dropped from it. Hurrying over and picking it up, she studied it, held it close to her chest, and ran back over to Appa, wiping tears from her eyes.

She rode on through the night and into the morning, her tiredness and haste getting her lost in the process. Her surroundings began to blur. Her wits beginning to fail and all other things beginning to flee from her mind, one word made itself quite clear in her mind as she approached Paris.

_Hurry._

It repeated itself over and over as she became increasingly aware of the fact that the execution was going to happen any minute now. She was hit by a wave of onlookers as she crossed the border into Paris, but the sight of a breathtaking woman riding on a white stallion was enough to clear a pathway directly into the heart of the city. From far away atop her horse, she could see the gruesome sight of the guillotine, thanking the heavens that nobody stood on the stage.

As she got closer, a carriage arrived. Her father stepped out, followed by Zhao and a few guards. He looked heartbroken, even considering how far away he was. Pushing on through the crowd, she pulled her water satchel out from under her cloak and removed the top, ready to fight anybody who prohibited her from marching up onto that stage and retrieving her father.

From that moment on, everything seemed to go in fast-motion. Her father was herded up onto the stage, placed into the confines of the killing monster, and Zhao drawled for what seemed was a few seconds.

She was so close she could taste it. She was considering jumping off Appa and running out through the crowd, she was considering taking her water and sending a stream of water spearing through Zhao's heart, she was considering oh-so-many things. The situation turned from "hurry" to "you'd better do something **NOW**," as the executioner gripped the handle. Something out of the corner of her eye soared over towards the guillotine, falling a good ten feet short, but all thoughts scattered as the executioner pulled the mechanical lever.

Her fingers were out in front of her, her arm straight as a sword in front of her chest, as she hurled all the water in her satchel at that death-reaping guillotine. A silent scream ripped itself from her lungs, making no sound except for the release of fury, fear, and anger from her innermost being.

Tensing her right hand and fisting her left, she watched the water explode into ice and then disintegrate the metal blade of the guillotine, only mere feet from her father's innocent neck.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

~Momo


	36. Turning Tides

Hey guys! I'm SOOO sorry that I haven't updated, in, like, forever. OTL Six months, I think. :'( It's just been really busy, with holidays and school and the like. Thanks so much for waiting! I'm going to start revising the next few chapters on my list after I post this (Ch.6-Ch.8). I think I'll do 3 revisions per update, if that's cool.

OKAY. SO. This is the first full-chapter battle scene that I think I've ever written. Like, seriously. Most of the fights I write last anywhere from a few sentences (lol) to a few paragraphs. So please bear with me if it doesn't turn out the best that it could be. :3 Thanks!

DISCLAIMER: Me no own Avatar.

:::...:::...:::...:::...:::

Shrill shrieks and hollers ripped through the crowd, confusion and fear rippling through the mass of people. Everyone watched as the shattered metal glittered through the air and landed all around the guillotine, leaving King Hakoda miraculously unharmed. King Hakoda's eyes flew wide open and frantically surveyed the area, obviously in disbelief that he was still alive.

"What the hell is going on?" Zhao roared, his boots clomping on the wooden stage. He hurried over to the far side, where the ice had come from. "Who dares to interrupt my execution?"

A magnificent horse burst from the crowd, pushing various bystanders out of the way and coming to a stop about twenty feet from the stage. A beautiful woman slid down from her seat atop the horse, shucking off her riding cloak and throwing an icy glare in Zhao's direction. Everything went silent. Nobody dared to breathe.

"It is I, Princess Katara, who dares to interrupt your thirst for power." She approached the stage, her shoes clicking against the cobblestone, and she quickly caught a glimpse of someone darting behind the guillotine out of the corner of her eye. As she walked up the steps onto the stage, the executioner and Zhao's entourage hastily backed out of her way and scurried back down the steps, leaving Zhao all alone. Zhao's blood red eyes narrowed.

"Princess," he snarled, "when did you decide to come back from your vacation? You weren't supposed to come back for..." He paused, smiling a sickly sweet grimace. "Actually, you weren't supposed to come back at all."

People in the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves. "Was Zhao attempting a coup?" "What did he mean by that?" "Was he trying to take over France?"

Katara took a deep sigh and closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. Opening them, she spoke slowly, surely.

"Zhao, please let my father go." She gestured simply to the guillotine her father was still shackled to.

Zhao's face contorted into something akin to an evil grin. "No," he drawled, drawing his ebony sword and holding it out, en garde. Katara sighed, somewhat exasperatedly.

"You know, I asked very nicely. You should reconsider."

"Definitely not." He took a menacing step forward, causing Katara to step backward. Drawing the last of her water from her waterskin, she froze it immediately as Zhao swung his sword at her neck, blocking his strike with a screech of ice-on-metal.

"Ooh, an ice sword. Nice touch," Zhao said loftily, drawing his sword back and attacking again. Katara parried and deflected all of his blows, grinning as she had the opportunity to make a nice cut into his frilly red collar. They locked swords.

"You'll never win," Zhao yelled. "My sword is drenched in poison and I have years of swordsmanship training over you! You haven't a chance!" Katara took that opportunity to deliver a swift kick to his stomach, knocking him back a few feet. The crowd began to cheer for Katara, screaming their praise and encouragement.

"You can do it Princess!" her subjects shouted at the tops of their lungs, warming Katara's heart and making her smile an embarrassed, modest smile. As she looked over to the crowd and waved, she was caught off-guard as Zhao lunged at her. She barely had the chance to block, and ended up locking swords with him once again. Zhao shoved her back, making her stumble off the stage.

"I don't have time for this. Guards!" Zhao yelled, waving his hand dismissively and sheathing his sword. He stepped backwards to allow his guards to form a wall between him and Katara.

Looking around wildly from beneath the stage, Katara got to her feet and saw Toph, Sokka and two others sprinting towards her.

"Sis! I'm so glad you're safe!" Sokka exclaimed, wrapping her in an enormous hug. Toph settled for a punch to her arm.

"Where's Aang? And what are _they _doing here?" Katara said disdainfully, motioning to Zuko and Mai. Seeing Zuko and the dark girl reopened a wound in her heart that she had thought had healed long ago. Whenever she saw Zuko, she was whisked back to the painful day that seemed to start this entire mess. The day that she was rejected.

"Katara, this isn't the time for questions. All you need to know is that they're on our side," Toph said impatiently. "Zhao isn't going to stand up there and wait all day. You've gotta tell us what to do to help you out."

Sighing, Katara nodded. "Alright. Mai, since you're renowned throughout the nations for being quick and good with locks, I'd like for you to get my father away from the guillotine and get him to that building over there." She pointed to a bakery on the other side of the main square. "We personally know the family that runs the bakery, and their place should be safe for my father as of right now." Mai nodded silently, and Katara turned to the other three. "I need you guys to start getting the civilians safely out of the area. I have a feeling that Zhao is going to put up quite a bit of a fight. Does that sound good?"

"But what about you? You can't take on Zhao and his army all on your own," Sokka said doubtfully. "I can't let my little sister do this all on her own."

"Watch me." And with that, Katara ran up the stairs, motioning for the four of them to go. She turned her gaze to the guards. Their weapons were drawn and all pointed directly at her.

"Princess Katara, we don't want any trouble. Please cease and desist," the captain said flatly, raising his sword. Katara responded by hurling her ice sword at the guards, causing them to duck out of the way. In mid air, however, Katara unfroze the sword and used the water to cut the guards down in one fell swoop. Zhao stood, gawking at her, not believing how quickly she had cut his line of defense down. Looking behind him, he saw that more guards were approaching the stage. He would just have to hold her off until the next wave of guards arrived.

Before he could plan his next move, however, Katara had sent her water barreling towards Zhao. Without thinking, Zhao grabbed a fistful of the mysterious black powder from his pouch and threw it in front of him. The water sparked and fizzled out into steam, causing Katara to take a few steps back in shock. Realizing that he now had an edge over her, he grinned his evil grin.

Katara's hands flew out into the air, pulling the evaporated water back into its fluid form, then quickly freezing it as Zhao's sword struck. Trying to create as many distractions for her as possible until the guards arrived, Zhao unhooked at bottle of poison from his belt and sent it hurdling towards Sokka, who was in the crowd, trying to help usher people out of the main square. Katara clenched her fingers; the flask stopped mid-flight and reversed its direction, flying directly back at Zhao. He dove out of the way as the bottle crashed into the guillotine; Katara was relieved to see that Mai had already done her job and her father was safely out of the guillotine.

When she looked back up, her heart stopped. Zhao was gripping Aang tightly, holding his ebony sword to Aang's neck.

"Princess, I'm quite tired of fighting you. Either you give up, or your boyfriend here dies."

"Aang! Where did you come from? How did you get here?" Katara cried disbelievingly. It wasn't as if she didn't want to see him; she just couldn't believe that he had appeared at the most inconvenient time possible.

"I was trying to free your father but Mai came and then Zhao grabbed me and-"

"SHUT UP!" Zhao said, kneeing Aang in the back and knocking the wind out of him. "I never said you could talk! As I was saying, Princess, you're in no position to attack me if you want your lover to live."

Anger piled up inside of Katara. How dare Zhao speak that way to her, to threaten her! Especially concerning her Aang! She was the one in control, dammit! Even though her pride and fury were swelling to record highs, she finally dropped her hands in surrender and let the water splash onto the wooden stage. With a smirk, Zhao tossed a pinch of the powder onto her water so she wouldn't be able to bend it anymore. Guards marched up the stairs and circled around Katara, closing her in.

"Smart move, Princess. You aren't as stupid as I thought you were," Zhao smirked. He pulled some spare rope from his belt and tied Aang's hands and feet, leaving him standing there awkwardly on the stage, still regaining his breath from the blow. He looked pitifully injured, Katara thought to herself. She held Zhao's gaze bitterly as he walked the few feet over to her.

"You said you were going to let him go," she said angrily as he drew his sword.

"I did." He raised his sword high above her head, and in the shadow of the sword, Katara squeezed her eyes shut. Bringing it down swiftly, metal cut into flesh and a shout and cry of pain rang throughout the air.

Katara opened her eyes in complete shock. Instead of attacking her, Aang now lay on the ground with a giant gash running down the length of his right arm.

And the poison from the sword was already beginning to take effect.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Sorry that it was somewhat short :/ Will attempt to update soon! Love y'all! :D

~Momo


End file.
